


Between Madness and Tranquility

by Tonicon1231



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alpha Bruce Wayne, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, Angst and Romance, Batfamily Dynamics (DCU), Bruce Wayne in Denial, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Dick is a Superman Fanboy, Dick is a tease, Drug Addiction, Falling In Love, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Lies, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Dick Grayson, Pampering, Porn With Plot, Rough Sex, Secrets, Service Omega
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:55:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 41,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27720373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tonicon1231/pseuds/Tonicon1231
Summary: When Bruce’s Rut is around the corner and his health is on the line, he turns to a Rut Relief Program and meets an Omega that harbors many secrets, those of which will bring them closer together.
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Bruce Wayne
Comments: 123
Kudos: 387





	1. An Inconvenience Arises

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve seen the Heat/Rut service trope around elsewhere and I wanted to try my hand at it. Enjoy!

“Jason.”

Looking away from the bat computer, Jason found Bruce out of the bat suit and dressed down into his everyday wear. He regarded him warily and responded in like manner. “What?” 

“I don’t want you going out and looking for Croc by yourself," Bruce said gruffly. "If you encounter him again, contact one of us.”

With a soft tut, Jason picked up his helmet and side-eyed his motorbike. “I’ll do what I want, old man.” 

“Master Jason.”

At the sound of Alfred’s voice, Jason faltered a step, turning slightly.

“Will you not stay for the night?”

“...No,” He said with less miff, softly muttering, “I’ll… I’ll be home for Christmas.” Heading towards his bike, Jason put on his helmet and revved up the obnoxious motor before leaving in the same hurried fashion he always did.

Tim, with a small smile on his face, shook his head. “At least he set a date this time around.”

“Hmph,” Damian folded his arms. “As much I hate to, I agree with Drake. But I also crave to have that kind of freedom. Father, if I-”

“No," Bruce shot down. "Finish up down here and go to bed.”

Damian frowned. “But you don’t even know what I was going to say.”

Tim sighed. “You really just don’t know when to shut up, do you?”

“Try saying that when you can face me in one on one combat without falling flat on your face, Drake.”

Tim rolled his eyes. “Annoying.”

“Tiresome.”

“Demon spawn.”

“Bane of my existence.”

“Boys, that's enoug-” Bruce groaned, staggeringly taking a step forward after suddenly growing dizzy. Losing a bit of his balance on the way, Bruce had to hold onto the table to right himself. It was finally silent and he knew the boys had noticed his waver.

“Father, are you still feeling sick?” Damian spoke first and Tim followed after.

“Did you skip out on another doctor's appointment?”

“No…” Bruce leaned back against the table. “...Yes.”

Damian moved near his father with concern hidden beneath his hardened expression. “If you faint on the job again, it'll ruin our hard-earned reputation.”

Tim scoffed. “What the Spawn means to say, is that he’s worried about you.”

“Master Bruce,” Alfred also jumped in with a scolding tone. “I thought we talked about this.”

“Alright, alright." Bruce started towards the exit tunnel before the confrontation got out of hand. “I’ll schedule another one.”

“Please do, father.” Damian watched him disappear around the corner.

“Spawn.”

Damian grumbled internally at how fast he responded to that nickname. In the end, he didn’t make a fuss and faced the omega.

“Let's try and not give Bruce a hard time."

"Good advice, Drake. I hope you take it." Damian jeered.

"Let's be real, you and _only you,_ cause most of the problems while we're out patrolling. But that's not the main issue here." Tim shut off the monitor and stood up. “Right now, we have to make sure Bruce doesn’t faint on the job again. Health is always the most important.”

“Well said, Master Tim.” Alfred easily approved. “All we can hope is that Master Bruce will take it as seriously as you do.”

.

.

.

By the time Bruce made it upstairs and into the shower, he barely had the strength to stand up anymore. He planted his hands against the tiled wall and let the hot water run down his shoulders and back. He blew through the steam and tried to ignore the place that was aching below. But it was becoming a more difficult task as time went on. In such a bothersome case, Bruce allowed himself to touch the cock hanging heavily between his legs but then… that was it… that’s where he stopped...

Bruce pulled his hand away and turned the knob to the coldest temperature setting. He blew out another breath and closed his eyes, trying and failing to will away the memories that tormented him until this very day. 

_That one moment of incompetence; that one moment where he was powerless against his instincts..._

Bruce quickly finished washing himself off, throwing a towel over his shoulders as he walked across the bathroom. The medicine cabinet protruded from the wall beside the mirror and Bruce all but gladly seized a clear pill bottle and twisted off the cap. With trembling hands, he poured two pills and swung his head back, swallowing them with ease. Letting his hands fall on either side of the sink Bruce looked down at the last two pills sitting at the bottom of the bottle.

He was almost out of Rut Reducing pills. 

Worst of all, it seemed as though the pill’s effects were wearing off faster than usual. He would need to get a stronger dosage next time around. Unfortunately, this was his last refill and as customary, he would have to schedule an appointment in order to receive another six-month prescription. So even if he wanted to, there was no way to avoid getting a check-up. Hopefully what his doctor said didn’t have anything to do with his Dynamic, otherwise, Bruce would be in for a lot of hell. 

~*~

“Your record shows that you haven’t had a Rut in 14 years.”

Bruce kept a straight face as he heard this information said out loud for the first time in his life. He and the doctor were the only ones in the room but Bruce felt as though someone, somewhere was listening to the reality he wanted to ignore. “...I haven’t.”

The Alpha woman hummed and set the chart on her lap, observing Bruce. “I’m sure you’ve learned what that entails during high school- middle school, even.”

It went quiet as Bruce held her stare, soon realizing she was waiting for him to answer. “Sorry, It’s… It seems to have slipped my mind.”

“I see.” She nodded. “Well, let me put it this way.” Her stare became serious. “If you, an Alpha, continue to suppress your instincts with these Rut Reducing pills, your body will relapse and you will go uncontrollably feral (U-Feral).”

“...Uncontrollable.”

“Mhm. As I'm sure you're aware, this type of feral state will be prolonged and uncontrollable by even the strongest of Alphas.”

 _Uncontrollable…_ It was that one word that hit close to home for Bruce.

“How long do I have?”

“You have until your next rut. If you go without relief during that time, you will go U-Feral. And…” The doctor sighed regrettably. “And since I know this information, the law states that if you do end up going U-Feral, I will be forced to tell the authorities.” 

Bruce clenched his jaw. He knew of the law pertaining to those who’ve gone U-Feral. Those states made people go crazy and run rampant through the streets, causing chaos and killing anything in sight solely because they’re instinct ridden intuitions were disoriented.

When the situation was at its worst almost 30 years ago, an Executive Order was put in place as a way to keep the rampage at bay: Anyone who went U-Feral was to be put into custody until they were able to calm down. 

Unfortunately for some, they were never able to calm down and ended up either killing themselves or dying young due to the overuse of their instinctive stamina.

“Don’t worry Mr. Wayne. We have ways to prevent this.” 

Bruce quietly watched the doctor turn around and grab a few pamphlets from the clear containers lining the counter.

“Rut Relief and Heat Relief programs have gained a lot of popularity as of late.” She handed Bruce the pamphlets and he scarcely looked through them as she continued talking. "I think it's because people are starting to understand the severity of managing their inner Dynamic in a way to keep them from going U-Feral. With that, I hope you’re able to find a good relief partner that will keep you sated and healthy for years to come.”

That’s what the doctor said, but Bruce truly didn’t understand. He either didn’t go through his rut with a relief partner and went U-Feral or he got a relief partner and loses himself to lust. There was no in-between here and both options were a nuisance in their own right. 

~*~

“How did you find out about this place, Harv?” The inquiry was given after Bruce had clicked on the link, leading to a website titled the ‘The Rut Relief Program'(RRP).

 _“Everyone knows about it,”_ Harvey confirmed, his voice coming through the speaking phone and echoing throughout Bruce’s study _. “Only if you’re a part of the elite crowd, of course. My guess is no one’s ever mentioned it to you because you’re a playboy and have no use for underground RRP’s.”_ Harvey chuckled at his own jest. _“I’m not one to judge but, I’m surprised to see that you’re in need of one.”_

Bruce sighed, scrolling down the organized homepage, seeing the many different options offered with this specific program. “I need confidentiality at the moment.”

_“That’s clear.”_

This one was different from the Relief Programs on the pamphlets the doctor had given him. Those were public based programs, and while they were good programs with five-star ratings, they were still public and didn’t come with as many precautions as a private one harbored. Although Bruce Wayne presented himself as a playboy, he was not fully comfortable with spending his rut with another public figure who would most likely brag about it to the media. He wanted to spend his rut in a more confidential, secretive, and personable manner. 

“Everything about this program is discrete?”

_“Yes, the Omegas there aren’t allowed to give out any information, pertaining to your public status.”_

“And you say this isn’t illegal?” Bruce asked even though he was already planning on running a background check later tonight.

_“It’s an RRP, Bruce. Even though it’s not as public as some others, it’s fully permissible. I’ve thoroughly checked the margins of the contracts provided for a client who wanted to sue the place for money laundering just last year. Turns out, he fell in love with one of the Omegas there and wanted to shut the place down because he was rejected. In any case, I can assure you that it is fully legal.”_

That being said, Bruce ended up clicking on the new login tab to create a profile. “I hope you’re sure about this.”

_“I’m 100% sure. You’re talking to someone who’s used it before.”_

Bruce grunted in a sort of ‘agree to disagree’ manner, while he was confirming the details of his identity. As much as Bruce didn’t like it, the routine, name, address, and picture of identification, was mandatory plus a two-day hold over to verify that he was who he said he was. As most of these programs would have it, there was an interview process as well. It was a customary thing and Bruce’s practiced facade was more than adequate enough to pass it with flying colors. 

The program required information on Bruce’s medical background to make sure he didn’t have any sexually transmitted diseases. Once that was confirmed, the video interview was next. Answering a few questions relating to the reason for needing the program was easy. Answering the questions about his likes and dislikes in a rut partner was a bit more complicated than he’d thought it’d be. 

The blaring fact was that Bruce has never once spent his rut with anyone before. 

He knew that it was different from having casual sex, considering the lack of control, the enhanced pheromones, and the immense pleasure. It was what Bruce dreaded the most when it came to dealing with Alpha instincts. He hated the notion of not being in control. The very idea of having his mind forced into a state of incomprehensiveness, had Bruce cowering in disdain. It was _disgusting_ and remarkably unethical. 

The moments of his first presentation was something he never wanted to experience again. Therefore, from the time he presented at the age of sixteen, he forcibly trained himself to control _all_ of his Alpha instincts. Anything pertaining to aggressiveness, possessiveness, and just that all around innate arrogance, Bruce quelled it. He turned a blind eye to the call. 

His Doctor said it was unnatural for him to go so long without a rut partner, especially at his age of thirty-four. Bruce normally wouldn’t have believed such a thing if only after all these years of holding off his Alpha hadn’t begun to take a toll on his body. As of late, his hormones had been noticeably off-kilter.

He was more anxious than usual. His body lacked the energy needed to exercise for longer than his ordinary routine. And even though he was sleepless before, now, he could barely sleep a wink enough to save himself the trouble of feeling faint when he went out on patrol. As much as Bruce wanted to disregard the Doctor’s warnings, he knew he couldn't risk taking another month without having a full rut. 

After Bruce begrudgingly made the decision to get a rut partner, he skipped taking the Rut Reducing pill at the beginning of the month. And to his demise, his Alpha had been acting erratically ever since. Erratically as in, pulling in random boners throughout the day, those of which wouldn’t disappear unless Bruce took care of it by... hand. 

He was on edge around Omegas now. Even if their scents weren’t that attractive, he found that he couldn’t stand in the same room with one for more than thirty minutes. As board meetings go, he avoided having them until the very moment he decided that taking the rest of the month off was more reasonable. He’d do so until his rut had passed. Bruce hated how this was impacting both his day and nightlife, but there was no avoiding it.

He had to keep his health in check thus, he needed relief and he needed it _quickly._

When it finally came to choosing a Rut Relief Partner from the program, the interviewer seemed adamant about finding out his preferences. Finding a partner garnered specifically for his needs was important, the interviewer said. _What needs? What did it matter?_ Bruce’s health was on the line. That’s all that mattered and really, _he just wanted to get this over with._

Growing tired of the questioning, Bruce eventually told the interviewer he wasn’t picky. As long as his partner was an attractive Omega, he was fine with anything. After he finished the rest of the interview process, the interviewer— with a sigh— narrowed down all the rut partners who’d fit Bruce’s (unexplained) needs and sent him a list of ten people he’d have to sift through. 

There were five women and five men in total, all with different profiles that offered information on their age, weight, blood type, and something as crucial as... pain tolerance. Bruce deemed himself to be a very controlled Alpha. Despite the unruliness caused by a rut and not having experienced the full extent of a rut, Bruce wasn’t afraid of losing himself.

Still, seeing that pain tolerance was even a thing to worry about, concerned him— it affected his choices. He narrowed his partners down to three. He only chose those with the highest level of pain tolerance, but there was another thing that stopped him.

All of the Omegas he chose were a little too amateurish, for his taste. Their profiles listed the total years of their experience they had with the highest, amongst the three Omegas, being only 4 months. In spite of all of them being attractive, in truth, Bruce preferred someone who had a bit more experience. He concluded that someone who knew what they were doing probably had more control over their own instincts… _someone like him._ _Maybe Bruce should’ve thought more about his ‘preferences’ before ending the call with that interviewer._

As setbacks go, Bruce had to contact the RRP’s operator so they could provide him with better choices. The setback was major, considering his rut was less than five days away. It was his fault for waiting until the last minute to go through the list of partners. 

After having opened up his laptop, going in search for the operator’s email address, Bruce sighed to himself. Private programs like this were formal— in that they did interviews, but when it came to emailing back, they took more time than needed. Bruce was down to two days by the time the operator got back to him and it was during that time that Bruce’s cell phone rang.

It was Harvey and Bruce only picked up so he could comment on the RRP’s slow service.

 _“Have you found someone?”_ Was the first thing Harvey said when Bruce answered.

“Is that all you called me for?” Bruce clicked on the email from the provider, reading the questionnaire he’d have to do in order to change partners.

_“I still find it interesting that you, Bruce Wayne, have to look for a rut partner.”_

“This is why I don’t tell you anything.”

_“I’m sorry if my opinion affects you but you must agree that it is quite shocking.”_

“We’ll agree to disagree. I’m already frustrated as it is.” Bruce ended the discussion and sat back in his seat. The questionnaire looked as though it asked more things than the interviewer had, and all Bruce could do was sigh at the sight. _This is what he gets for not taking the interviewer seriously the first time._

 _“Am I allowed to point you in the right direction?”_ Harvey sought to supply his friend with an alternative.

“I’d rather not have a partner you’ve previously had, Harvey.” Bruce pushed through his reluctance and began answering questions.

 _“No, of course not. I would never do that to you._ ” Harvey quickly defended. _“This one is special, and for a guy of your status, I think you deserve the best of the best.”_

Bruce’s typing slowed, curious. “Who is it?”

_“An Alpha tamer.”_

“Tamer?” Bruce frowned in speculation. _It sounded ridiculous._

_“It sounds cheesy, I know, but he’s the real deal. Apparently, no matter how rough the Alpha is, he comes out without a scratch.”_

Bruce pulled his eyes away from the questionnaire and toward the door where Alfred entered, carrying a tray of tea. At that moment, he thought he wouldn't be in need of an Omega who was known for… taming unruly Alphas. He wasn’t unruly; nevertheless, he was still interested.

 _“He’s the finest the program has to offer,”_ Harvey continued right as Alfred set the teacup next to his mouse pad and left the room. _“He’s one of the most expensive partners, but I’m sure his price is right up your alley.”_

“What’s his alias?” Bruce said, having grown even more interested.

Usually, the Omegas in these private relief programs used aliases to replace their real names. Despite the Omegas possibly knowing who the Alphas were, when it came to confidentiality, it was a contract on both ends. The Omegas got to keep their names and private lives concealed while the Alpha’s association to the program remained equally concealed from the public eye. To Bruce, it was a win-win situation. It was basically like having a one night stand with a contract that forbade further attachment. 

_“It’s Lovebird, I believe.”_

Bruce exited out of the questionnaire and instead chose to email the program operator about this… Lovebird person. He hoped they didn’t take long with responding this time around, otherwise, he’d have to stick with one of the three he chose from the previous list. 

Fortunately, they answered within one hour after he finished dinner. And as it so happens, Bruce didn’t actually have a choice in the matter when it came to choosing Lovebird as a partner. It was, instead, Lovebird who would choose him. This piqued Bruce’s interest, even more, knowing that this person was so exclusive that _he_ had the option to reject a client based on his own preferences.

As the hours passed, and Bruce grew tired of watching TV with Damian, he started growing nervous. Lovebird was probably looking at Bruce’s profile as he spoke. 

“Father, is there a reason you’re not listening to me?”

Bruce perked up, looking down at his son. “Sorry?”

“I said, I think you should trust me to go out on patrol by myself while you’re… out of commission. I don’t need Drake watching my every move.”

“This is not up for debate, Damian. You and Tim will patrol together.”

Damian narrowed his eyes, looking as though he wanted to say more but eventually glanced back at the TV, murmuring, “...Fine. But if something bad happens, just know that it’s all his fault.”

\--

The program operator wouldn’t get back to him until later that night with the news about his acceptance. Bruce wouldn’t say he was nervous when it came to opening up his laptop and finding the email, but seeing as Lovebird would know who he was and could reject him because of that, put him on edge. He honestly just wasn't used to being rejected- actually, he’s never been rejected before. 

However, this was different than dating some eye-candy just for the convenience of it. To him, this was personal— something the public would never catch wind of if he had anything to say about it. Still, having a partner take care of him during one of his more ~~vulnerable~~ troublesome moments, was more serious than he thought it would be.

Bruce clicked on the email, tapping his shoe against the floor as he watched the screen load onto the familiar page. He stared at the sender's name before eventually scrolling down and letting his eyes register the first five words:

_‘Lovebird has accepted your proposal.’_

Bruce let out a breath, leaning forward as he read the rest of the message.

_‘Please click on the link below and use the password provided to view your Relief Partner’s profile.’_

Bruce clicked on the link, watching it create a new tab at the top of his browser. He was loaded onto a page with a blurred background that was topped with a password box. He quickly typed in the password.

Bruce had to hold his breath at the sight introduced to him after the page was fully loaded. The setup for the personalized profile was similar to the other partners he saw earlier, and even though they were nice looking Omegas, Lovebird was… almost ethereal looking in comparison.

There was a picture of the black-haired beauty: It was a headshot with a simple white background, but that did nothing to deter the Omega's charming features. He was handsome from the depth of his blue eyes and the tousled dark locks framing his cheeks, led into a gentle and heavenly smile. Quite frankly, he didn’t seem like the type to offer his services in a program like this, but who was Bruce to judge a book by its cover. He, himself, had a knack for hiding behind a facade.

Bruce clicked off the picture and scrolled through the rest of the Omega’s profile, finding the information about his height, weight, age, and blood type more intriguing than the previous partners. His pain tolerance was higher than the others too— sitting at a 9/10 on the endurance chart. His experience also exceeded Bruce's expectations. He had five years, and bearing in mind his age of twenty-three, Bruce could only assume he had joined this program as soon as he was eighteen. Bruce didn’t want to think about the reasons as to why this Omega had to join that young, but he couldn’t deny that he was curious.

A soft beeping sound pulled the Alpha away from his ever-growing curiosity and to the blinking red dot floating over what looked to be a chat box at the bottom of the screen. Upon clicking on the chat box, Bruce was greeted with a message:

[LB]: _Hey there! I'm glad you’ve taken the time to look around my profile. If you’re wanting to make an official contract, please message back soon!_

The message looked automated, but seeing as the chat showed a green dot next to Lovebird’s username, that must’ve meant he was actually online. Bruce didn’t take long to answer:

[Bruce]: I’m Interested.

Nor did the Omega.

[LB]: _Great!_

Bruce watched the typing ellipsis appear and while he waited, he took his time observing the Omega’s pictures once more.

[LB]: _I’m just going to run over a few mandatory precautions before we meet up tomorrow. As the contract says, this is a professional exchange and there will be no personal feelings involved. Regardless of who you are, your information will not be shared with anyone outside of this program. You and I will also not make outside contact once the partnership is done. If there are any breaches to the contract then it will be terminated immediately and if the issue is more serious than that, we will be forced to use legal action. Please let me know if you have any more questions._

[Bruce]: I’ve read the contract. I understand.

[LB]: _I’m sorry if I sound a bit off-putting, but it's mandatory_ _that I reiterate what you’ve already_ _heard during the interview process_ _… while you’re still in your right mind._

[Bruce]: It’s no problem.

[LB]: _Thank you for understanding :)_ _Now for tomorrow,_ _I have to ask permission to_ _have access to the following things:_ _Bathroom, Kitchen, Livingroom,_ _and Laundry room. Do any of_ _these rooms not apply?_

[Bruce]: You can go anywhere and use anything you want.

Bruce didn’t care what he did. His penthouse downtown had nothing of value anyway.

[LB]: _Cool!_ _May I also know how long_ _your ruts usually last?_

Bruce didn’t know the answer to that question. He would if he’d ever experienced one to its entirety. 

[Bruce]: I’m not sure.

[LB]: _Are you on the pill?_

[Bruce]: Yes.

[LB]: _I see... Well, for the majority,_ _it’s usually around 3-7 days._ _For now, make sure you have enough food_ _stocked up for that amount of time._ _I’ll plan for 7 days_ _since it seems you’re not used to this b_ _ut don’t worry, I’ll take great care of you._ _All you need to do is relax_ _and let me do everything else._

Clearing his throat, Bruce straightened up a bit as he read those last words. Even through text, he found it a little uncomfortable to be… coddled. Bruce knew how to control himself. He didn’t need anyone taking care of anything, even if his body said otherwise.

[LB]: _I almost forgot to mention, co_ _nsent is to be exchanged once I’m actually there._

Bruce instantly wondered how that was even possible in some cases? Some Alphas were unmanageable during their rut, but well… this man was known as a ‘tamer’ of sorts. Maybe he knew something Bruce didn’t?

[Bruce]: Sounds good.

[LB]: _That’s great then!_ _Most Alpha’s usually aren’t rational_ _enough to greet me when I arrive._ _It’s best to leave your key either in_ _your mailbox or under a mat_ _so I can come in without_ _you having to do anything._

Bruce almost frowned at the thought of Alphas having no control over themselves. He once again reminded himself that he wasn’t like the rest of them and he never would be.

[Bruce]: I will be able to answer the door for you.

[LB]: _Cool!_ _What time is good for you?_

[Bruce]: 6 p.m.

[LB]: _Alright! I will see you then._ _Message me two hours beforehand with your address._ _And if anything comes up, make sure and let me know!_

Bruce shut his laptop and let out another sigh. _Was he really about to go through with this?_ It wasn’t too late to back out now, but he knew that was a terrible idea. For his health, there was no harm in using a program just this once.

“Master Bruce,” Alfred entered the room. “I thought you might've been asleep by now.”

“Alfred…” Bruce moved to stand up from his desk. “No, I am. I was just finalizing the contract.”

“You’ve decided to go through with it, sir?”

Bruce pulled the string lamp, the light flickering off. “For now, yes.”

“This will be good for you, Master Bruce,” Alfred said, waiting for Bruce to exit the door before turning off the light switch. “I did warn you years ago what would happen if you didn’t manage your health.”

Bruce held off a sigh, choosing to head to his room with admittance. “I know.”

“Hopefully this will be a normal occurrence until you’re finally mated, sir.”

“Don’t ever plan on it,” Bruce said, hearing Alfred stop at the foot of the stairs.

“You never know the future, sir.”

“Good night, Alfred.” The response was light, for they’d had this conversation too many times before. Bruce wasn’t looking for a mate nor had he ever. 

_He didn’t need one._

_He was fine on his own._

~*~

Bruce could feel the difference in his body as soon as he woke up the next day. He arose with sweat, his body heated to the point where wearing clothes was too uncomfortable. Thankfully, he wasn’t delirious, but if he lost control of himself for even a second, he knew his instinctive needs would kick in. Driving downtown to his penthouse was even more of a hassle than he thought it would be. He could barely concentrate on the stoplights, let alone the cars driving around him. Next time around, he’d make sure and stay at his penthouse the day before his relief appointment.

For six days, he remembered suddenly, he would have to deal with this Rut business until his body was deemed healthy enough. He knew his Doctor wanted him to have consistent rut partners, but if Bruce had survived fourteen years without having one, then he felt like he could go another fourteen without having another.

The six day's worth of groceries he'd ordered last night, were delivered promptly upon his arrival. The omega that was sent up to deliver them, however, wasn’t something Bruce anticipated. It was an awkward but quick exchange, especially with the omega lowering his head as soon as Bruce opened the door. It was an act of submission and it made Bruce hate instincts even more. It influenced people so easily. If there had been one moment in his life he wished he was a Beta, it would be right now.

Moving away from the door he watched the omega blush and fumble with the bags as he placed them on the countertop. Bruce stayed within viewing distance of the omega by sitting in the living room and heedlessly watching the TV. 

Even as he tried to distract himself, he couldn't ignore the fertile omega within five feet of him— an _omega that wasn’t wearing a collar at that._ His senses were heightened and they were screaming for him to take the omega as a prize to relieve himself. Bruce felt nauseous and disgusted by his thoughts. They were mindless and even if he controlled himself by sitting still with a stoic expression, his instincts were playing a game with his rationalities. 

_He should leave the room._

By the time Bruce made it up the stairs to his bedroom, he heard the door open and close shut from downstairs. _He’d been reckless._ Bruce had made a million mistakes in only two hours and it was all because he underestimated the symptoms caused by an Alpha's rut. Still, he would never let them consume him completely, no matter how good an omega’s scent smelled. 

Not even if that omega was the relief partner he’d hired for the week, whose pheromones happened to be right up Bruce's alley, in terms of an alluring fragrance.

It was sweet like honey and soothing like jasmine and pine as it softly caressed his nose like rose petals. Bruce couldn’t be more glad that the omega wasn’t wearing a scent blocking type of collar, but instead, allowed his scent to roam freely.

Lovebird was an even better-looking omega in person. Seeing the full length of his body rather than a headshot secured Bruce’s attraction. He stood at Bruce’s door with a loose drop shoulder top, revealing a surprising amount of arm muscle. Holes ripped into the knees of his jeans, piercings lining his left ear and that smile was as warm and gentle as it had been in his profile picture.

“Hey.” The omega said, adjusting the backpack slung over his shoulder. “Bruce Wayne, right?” 

As if he even had to ask. That teasing smile of his said it all. This omega, and just like the rest of Gotham City, knew exactly who Bruce was.

Bruce moved aside. “Come in.”

“Thanks.” He inched right past and there was no shame when Bruce’s leer followed the omega’s sizable ass as he walked further into his penthouse.

“Nice place," The omega commented once Bruce closed the door. Then he was wandering over to the massive windows of the living room. “The view’s amazing from up here.”

“It's nice,” Bruce answered shortly, watching the omega turn to him with that same heavenly smile. It was then that Bruce noticed that his own Rut induced scent wasn’t affecting his partner like it did with the other omega. There was no reflexive submission, awkward movements, or a blush rising to his cheeks— he was as normal as they come. _So, it was just like Bruce thought. His relief partner was similar to him. He was in control of his instincts._ If so, then this exchange would be easier than Bruce initially thought. It would be just like having casual sex (except for the knotting part, of course).

“Your scent is strong.” The omega began after he had his fill of the city's wonderful view. Thereafter, he strode across the room, promptly stopping in front of Bruce with an inquisitive gleam in his eyes. “But you’re surprisingly calm… on the surface, at least.” He casually reached out and touched Bruce’s arm.

In those few moments of contact, the cool touch of his partner's palm did something to Bruce. An unwarranted yearning sensation crashed through his brain but Bruce didn’t want to understand why. He definitely didn't want to understand why he felt the sudden need to yank the omega as close to him as possible. No– He told himself, _he didn't feel that way at all. It was just an illusion._

“You’re very tense.” The omega noted and soon Bruce was being surrounded by his partner's scent all at once. As if the omega had released the stronger scent on purpose, he peered up at the alpha— watching and studying his every reaction.

Bruce held his breath and suddenly moved an inch out of reach, making sure his arms were locked at his side.

“Hm…” The omega studied him some more, cocking his head as he pulled his hand away from Bruce’s arm. “Were you in the military?” He suddenly inquired.

Bruce had to force his mind away from the sensation left on his arm by the omega’s hand, to speak calmly, “No.”

“...That’s strange.” The omega looked down, seeming to reflect on Bruce’s answer. “You’re very... controlled even though there’s no reason to be.”

Bruce frowned.

“Very unusual.”

Bruce’s frown deepened. _What was this omega insinuating?_ He was proud of his control and saw no problem with it. 

“I think you're confused about something,” Bruce said.

The omega raised a brow. “Confused?”

“I hired you to help me get through this, not to waste time examining my condition.”

The omega’s entire demeanor seemed to change as he lifted his chin in a sort of challenging way, assessing the alpha in front of him. “I’m sorry if I offended you, Alpha, but I need you to understand that this is my job and I’m pretty sure I know what I’m doing otherwise I would’ve been fired a long time ago.”

“I wasn’t downplaying your experience, I just don’t understand why you’re questioning my control?” Bruce thought his argument was proficient, but his partner clearly didn’t agree if his scornful scoff was anything to go by.

“As an Omega, dealing with Alphas in rut is not an easy task." The omega retorted in a surprisingly calm voice. "You could very well lose control, throw me against the wall, forcibly try and rip my collar right off, and have your way with me without my full consent. Because of that, I think I have every right to ‘examine your condition’ so I can know what I’m working with. If you have a problem with that, we can terminate our contract right now and I’ll get out of your hair... What’ll it be, Alpha?” The omega’s eyes squinted in a furtive manner as if he were daring Bruce to mouth off.

Bruce hadn’t expected his partner to say any of that. _What was Bruce really getting into?_ It was a given that Bruce didn’t understand the parameters of having a full rut, let alone having a relief partner. It’s not like Bruce could back out now...

“I said something insensitive.” Bruce unwillingly admitted. 

The omega’s expression softened and his shoulders slumped. “You’re new to this aren’t you?”

“I…” Bruce froze, not willing to admit to his partner that this was his first time experiencing a full rut.

“To using a relief program, I mean?” The omega specified.

“Yes,” Bruce answered too quickly, clearing his throat to play it off.

“You have beginner's assumptions, I get it.” The omega shrugged. "Trust me, I did the same thing when I first used a Heat Relief Program. But just know that I'm here to cater to you. That's what these programs are for."

"It's your call then," Bruce assured.

The omega’s smile slowly returned along with the hand on his arm. “I’m glad we’re finally on the same page.”

Wanting to speed this along, Bruce questioned, “How do you want to start this?”

“Have you taken a shower yet?”

“Last night, I did.”

The omega nodded. “Well to begin with, how about you go and take another one, and I’ll wait for you in your bedroom.” He proposed, gesturing for Bruce to lead the way.


	2. The Dilemma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally put Bruce as 30-years-old in the last chapter. He’s actually 34!

Being Batman, Bruce had run into various things that should have instinctively affected him, such as an omega captive going into heat. But because of his extraordinary control, Bruce was able to bypass those situations with ease. He'd been doing good thus far, notably with the help of his treasured Rut Reducing pills. And it was only now that he realized how much he'd been relying on those pills to hold him steady. Because now, he’d been thrown for a loop by having an attractive omega with an equally attractive scent waiting for him in his room.

When Bruce left the bathroom he spotted his partner waiting for him on his bed. He was sitting on the edge, dressed down in a short black robe that rode up to his hips with his legs crossed. As distracting as that was, Bruce found that gentle smile framing the omega’s cheeks more lovely at the moment, and chose to take in his fill before it disappeared. 

The omega hadn’t seemed to notice the alpha’s re-entry. He continued looking down at his cellphone, smiling at whatever was on the screen until the very moment Bruce cleared his throat.

The omega looked up and placed his phone on his lap. If Bruce hadn’t been so focused on his partner’s every move, he wouldn’t have noticed a very intricate and blaring detail eyeballing him practically everywhere he went no matter how much he tried to ignore it.

The Superman symbol sat smack dab in the middle of the omega’s blue cellphone case.

“Sorry, my boss was just checking in.” The omega said bashfully as he connected his phone to its charger and placed it on the nightstand. “Every few hours or so, she’ll text me just to make sure I’m alive and all that. I hope you don’t mind?”

Bruce pried his eyes away from the phone case. “Not at all.”

“Cool…” The omega first eyed the towel wrapped around the alpha’s waist, then his chest where a multitude of scars arrayed. “You sure you weren't in the military?” He asked, eyes now roaming.

“I wasn’t.”

“Really?”

Bruce watched the omega uncross his legs, bringing light to the inner flaps of his robe pooling between his thighs. He looked away once the omega stood up from the bed, only stopping when he was in front of Bruce.

“You’re tattered.” With worry etching the omega’s brow, he casually touched Bruce’s chest, exploring the scars scattered about its expanse. “What happened to you?”

“Nothing. Let's start.” Bruce gently pushed past him, making his way over to the bed and sitting down. He looked down at the floor, sighing internally. The faster this week went by, the faster he could get back to his normal routine.

“You’re surprisingly short-spoken. Not that I mind but...” Long legs entered Bruce’s line of sight, then a short robe that barely covered the top of the omega’s thighs. “Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable if you tell me a bit about yourself first? It doesn’t have to be much.” Bruce allowed his eyes to trail up his partner's body, stopping at his soft-looking lips right when he uttered, “How about it?”

“I’m sure you hear enough about me in the media.” Bruce’s hardened stare moved to meet the curiousness of the omega’s eyes. “I think you know plenty already, so we should move this along.”

Seeming undeterred by Bruce’s attitude, the omega nodded. “Okay then. Well, why don’t we give consent now…” The omega straightened up, giving Bruce a serious amount of attention. “I give you my full consent, but if you end up getting a bit rougher than I can take, I might have to use a bit of force to calm you down.” 

“I can assure you I won’t lose control,” Bruce stated.

As if the omega didn’t believe what the alpha said, he stood there, doubt permeating his expression. Bruce ignored it; instead, saying, “I also give you my full consent.”

“Alright.” The omega gave a small smile before motioning towards the bed. “Why don’t you lay down on your stomach for me?” 

“What do you plan on doing?”

“Giving you a massage, of course.”

The speculation in Bruce’s expression caused the omega to laugh softly, “It’s fine, you can trust me. You’ve given me the full reigns, remember? Why not let me show you exactly what that means?” Before long, and without much persuading, Bruce was made to lie down on his stomach. 

“This is pointless,” Bruce grumbled into his arm. 

“It’s not pointless at all. Think of it as a... precautionary tactic.”

“I don’t need precautions. I’m well aware of my restraint.”

“You’re a strange Alpha, you know that?” Bruce felt a comfortable weight settle on his lower back. “Not attacking me as soon as I come in. It makes my job easier, that’s for sure. But honestly, I don’t think you’re in as much control as you say you are.” There was a tilt in the omega’s voice that seemed to want to convince Bruce of the truth. “You hide it very well, but I can see that you’re struggling.” 

“I’m not struggling,” Bruce replied through his heightened agitation.

“But you are.” 

“I’m no-”

“Shhh…” The omega’s soothing scent followed the soft hush of his voice. “Relax… Growing defensive is only going to make you tenser.” The omega moved to crowd the alpha’s hips closely in between his soft thighs, making sure his behind was perched a little above Bruce's own. 

“I’m growing defensive because I see no point in this,” Bruce argued further, having half a mind to put an end to this and just fuck the omega until he was healthy again.

“There _is_ a point to everything I will give to you.” The omega’s voice fully mellowed out into a soft murmur as he continued to explain. “And until your rut ends, you will be able to see that first hand. You’ll be completely under my care.”

“This ‘extra’ care is unnecessary,” Bruce said as he heard something like a bottle being uncapped.

The omega sighed but didn’t seem discouraged by Bruce’s constant rebuttal. He spoke as calmly as he usually did. “If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you been on the Rut Reducing pill?”

“...”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t feel comfortable.”

“… 5 years.” Bruce begrudgingly confessed with a lie. His brows knitted once he felt something warm and wet trickle down the curve of his back.

“Ah…” The omega’s tone promptly saddened. "That explains your reluctance. I think I understand—”

“There’s nothing to understand about this. I’d rather you never mention it again.” Bruce cut him off to spare himself from the humiliation. He hadn’t even told his partner the truth but discussing it in any form was a difficult spot for him.

Things grew quiet after that, and the omega went still, but his soothing scent lingered on. Bruce nearly said something to make the situation less awkward but— 

“You poor, poor Alpha.” The omega cooed.

Bruce's words were caught to the back of his throat at the unexpected reaction. Even as sultry as the omegas voice was, the semblance of Bruce being treated like a child was too close to call with this change in tone.

“You’ve been without rut relief for far too long.” Soft sloshing sounds of his hands rubbing the oil together echoed throughout the room. 

“...I’ve been fine on my own.” 

“As much as you think you’re fine, you’re not.” Though the words came out delicately, Bruce grimaced at the omega’s strong hands applying pressure to his back. “You’re tense, you're stubborn, and you’re agitated. It’s clear to me you’ve never experienced this type of intercourse before. You’re... inexperienced.”

“I’m _plenty_ experienced.” Bruce quickly defended, hoping the omega didn’t see through his lie even though it sounded like he did. He wanted to be mad at the omega for his constant coddling, but the proficient movements that kneaded the extent of his back, restrained him.

“There’s a difference between fucking and rutting, you know? Spending a rut with someone is more tangible; more… intimate. Like a heat, it’s not meant to be spent alone."

“I’ve been fine.” Bruce breathed, speaking shortly. “I’m only doing this because I have to.” To have been reduced to using an RRP and to have an omega borderline treating him like a child of all things. _He wanted to leave. If only he could._

The omega hummed in response. “Even so, I’m still here for you...”

Slowly, the omega’s hands smoothed along the curve of Bruce’s spine. Then spread into the width of his stiff shoulders— circulating and expertly freeing the knots Bruce didn’t know he had.

“To care for you...”

The omega whispered while kneading his shoulders, keeping the pressure of his thumbs pushed into the skin before easing off and slipping his fingers down his back in a rotating motion.

“To relieve you of all your stress; all your worries...”

Somehow the omega was able to merge his voice in with the nonstop shifts of his palm. It was almost… tranquilizing. Even more so when he expressed his next statement,

“That way, you won’t ever have to think about anything else.”

The omega’s hands continued to disassemble Bruce’s tempered mood in more ways than one, causing his lower regions to twitch involuntarily.

“All you have to do is let me provide you with the relief you need…”

The omega’s palms pinpointed the contours and pushed upward once again. The touches continued without expectation, wandering with the care of passive healing, seeming to cure the forebodes in its path. 

“Then maybe you’ll find that you like being… without control...”

The omega’s maintenance proceeded to decompress and rehydrate Bruce’s tensity soon causing his body to magically melt into the bed. Somewhat sedated and placid, his thoughts began to cloud over.

“That’s it…” The omega smirked, watching the alpha’s muscles flex at his incessant range of motion.

The massive room was now filled with the sound of weak breaths smothered by the pillow, those of which Bruce would never admit to being his. And his tendons, not by the pressure of his partner’s hands, no— on their own, were collapsing further and further into the sheets. Sinking and drowning until he hit rock bottom. It was then that Bruce allowed himself to close his eyes.

“Hmm, there we go... Good Alpha.” The omega muttered in a seductive and much too experienced verbalization, that Bruce almost didn’t notice how close the omega had leaned in until his breath ghosted against his ear. “Now stay relaxed for me.” There was a soft kiss on the back of Bruce’s neck followed by a tender gliding of his lips down the dip of his back.

Bruce winced, not expecting something as soft and cool as the omega’s tongue poke out against his skin. He felt it steadily ascended his spine, leaving a pleasant damp sensation behind. Except that it was over too soon and Bruce was left with his partner's breath brushing the back of his neck once again.

“You’re burning up.” The omega mouthed against the alpha’s ear before pulling away. Bruce could feel the press of the omega’s erection against his back along with an unfamiliar... sticky feeling… Bruce’s thoughts stuttered, regressing into that of nothing once he delved deeper into the thought of what was moistening his skin.

It was Omegan slick… 

And that realization only seemed to direct Bruce’s attention to his own dilemma. His cock, aching, throbbing, and all, hid between his pelvis and the warm sheets. It was uncomfortable in the cramped shroud, and as if the seemingly heedful omega knew that, he spoke with sympathy, 

“Alpha, I think I’m done back here. Would you mind laying on your back for me?”

Bruce decided that he’d have to get used to being questioned in such an indulging way as he sluggishly turned over. Upon laying down on his back, Bruce didn’t understand why both his mind and body were suddenly feeling pacified. It was to such an extent that he’d almost forgotten the reason as to why he flipped over in the first place. It wasn’t until the omega was crawling onto Bruce’s lap that he finally understood. 

It was the Omega’s pheromones. 

Though, not as strong as Bruce’s, because of the alpha’s heightened senses, the potency of it drew Bruce into a... trance of sorts— as if it was calling for him. Or perhaps, this omega was just proficient at controlling his scent in such a way that it made even Alphas yield. 

Whichever one it was, it didn’t matter because at the moment, _if Bruce could plug his nose, he would_. No scent should be this enticing even by his standards. Needless to say, no matter how amazing this scent was, he wouldn’t let it affect him. Even if that lovely scent was currently threatening to— 

Bruce blinked away the thought, his eyes swiftly watching the sight of the omega’s robe falling away from his shoulders and catching on the bends of his elbows. What dawned, were a perky set of nipples and a chest with more muscle than Bruce could've previously accounted for. 

“Off-putting, isn’t it?” The omega timidly grinned, running a hand through his hair before comfortably resting the full of his weight on top of the alpha. “Some Alphas are a little upset about my mass; intimidated actually… to put it bluntly, they find it unattractive.” As if to show Bruce, the omega ran a hand across his chest, allowing the excess oil from before to shine on his delectable skin. “Do you?”

“No… never...” Bruce found himself panting softly, his cock twitching under the towel at the sight. His answer seemed to have pleased the omega, and he now thought that he loved that gentle smile even more than before.

“You're such a good Alpha.”

In a trance, Bruce watched the omega flagrantly glided a finger across his own nipple, his mouth parting into the next words, “You’re so sweet— complimenting me when I felt _so_ insecure. You don’t know how happy it makes me to hear you say that.” 

Bruce found that he could no longer speak. At that, the omega chuckled and what followed was a sensual running of his hands down Bruce’s slightly hairy chest. Then he stopped right above the hem of the towel that unjustly covered the alpha’s erection. “Do you wanna know how happy it makes me, Alpha?”

Bruce swallowed the lump blocking his voice and still said nothing.

Lifting an amused brow, the omega began to raise his body off of Bruce’s own. Without warning, something white and flashing obscured Bruce’s vision then. And before he knew it, a growl ripped from his throat, while his body was moving and grabbing a hold of the omega’s hips, wanting to keep him in place. 

The omega gasped and Bruce instantly snapped out of the haze. Finding his rationale, the alpha was quick to plant his hands by his side. _What was that just now?_

Bruce heard the omega click his tongue and saw his expression filled with mild annoyance before it was covered up with a smirk. 

“Were you worried that I was going to leave you, Alpha?”

“N-No.” Bruce felt conflicted at that moment, for his Alpha was feeling something else entirely different. Being apart from the omega in that instant didn’t seem plausible to him. _Something that was his to take shouldn’t be out of reach._ Bruce gripped the sheets, feeling his gut bubble with nausea. These thoughts… were loathsome.

“Alpha?” Catching Bruce’s attention, the omega placed his hands over the alpha’s own, carding their fingers together. “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll give you everything you need. You just have to be patient.” Bruce watched the omega bring his calloused palm to his mouth and kiss his fingertips one by one. “Can you do that for me?” He mouthed against Bruce’s rough fingers. 

“This coddling of yours,” Bruce’s tone was hesitant as he fought his instincts from within. “I want you to stop.”

The omega’s smile quirked into an almost humorous grin as he let go of Bruce’s hand. “Of course, Alpha.” He agreed but his tone was mocking along with his blatant lie.

Soon, the omega’s weight shifted downward, and he was careful not to remove any part of his body from Bruce’s as he squatted between the alpha’s legs. A sensual hand ran atop of Bruce’s thigh and swiftly maneuvered the towel onto the floor, exposing the alpha’s aching erection to the cool air of the room.

“Well endowed.” The omega bit his lip, letting his knees completely hit the floor. 

Bruce stared blankly at the ceiling, trying to control his breathing before steadily raising himself on his elbows. His thoughts were a mixture of reluctance and arousal as he watched the omega caress the side of his cheek on his manhood. 

“Alpha…” That same taunting tone resurfaced. “How do you think this will feel inside my mouth?” The omega’s smirk was unending as his nuzzling continued. 

Bruce frowned in frustration at his partner’s pestering. “Stop teasing me, Omega.” He growled, startling himself enough to grumble a quick apology. _It was directed more at himself than anything._

“You poor Alpha… still holding onto all that control.” The omega pulled his cheek away from Bruce’s cock. “Why not try letting go?” Their stares held one another and before Bruce could retort, the omega extended his tongue along the underside of the alpha’s throbbing cock. 

The warm swipe was long; _too long,_ and languorous as the omega took his time licking him all the way until the tip of his tongue met the head of Bruce’s shaft. Bruce’s brows crinkled as the omega’s tongue lingered at the tip, pressing down on the twitching flesh with no intention of moving. Bruce grunted in frustration, wanting to push forward but held back in order to curb his lust. But regardless of how much he tried, his cock began to stiffen, in an almost unpleasant fashion. 

The omega, having taken notice of this, retreated unhurriedly, tilting his head as he examined the towering thing in front of him.

“You’re knotting immaturely…” The omega grabbed the base of Bruce’s cock, causing the alpha to flinch. “So sensitive.” He mumbled, keeping his eyes pointed at the lump protruding from the alpha’s manhood. Bruce dared himself to look down at what was indeed a growing knot. He could feel it too— an odd straining sensation that was more uncomfortable than he thought it would be.

“When you say you haven’t had a rut in 5 years. Are you sure you weren’t lying to me?” The omega questioned like a parent would a child.

Bruce struggled to get a word out, watching the omega drag a finger down his cock, stopping short of the growing node. There, Bruce hissed.

“Whether you were lying or not, you seriously are just a sad little Alpha.” The omega said again with his lips already parted above the head, staring at Bruce’s length with sympathy. “Not having been able to knot anyone for so long.” The omega’s expression changed to that of yearning. “It’s no wonder you’re practically begging for it.”

“I’m…” Bruce shuddered. “I’m not…” 

“Hm?” The omega tauntingly cocked his head, his cheek touching the side of Bruce’s cock once again. “What was that, Alpha? You’re not what?”

“I’m not begging for it.” _Bruce was in control of himself. He always was, even now..._

“Alpha.” The omega replied in a chiding tone, his brows drooping. “It’s okay to give in to your instincts. You can do it for me, can’t you?” The omega lowered his head, his breath hovering an inch away from his tip. “I’m here to take care of you after all.” 

“That’s-” Bruce grunted, mouth going slack as the omega suddenly engulfed his cock, the warmth of his mouth making short work of the alpha’s senses. It was when the omega’s lips hit the startings of his knot, that Bruce’s strength failed him and his back hit the bed. The omega stayed in place with his lips stretching a bit around the forming knot, humming softly, as if he enjoyed it. And Bruce was trying to as well. He _really_ wanted to enjoy it. But this elevated pleasure wasn't something he could fully enjoy. Bruce _had_ to hold back, lest he lost himself in the dark lust of an Alpha's rut.

There was a loud slurping sound when the omega’s mouth stroked up the entirety of Bruce’s manhood. And pretty soon, he was pulling away fully, leaving precum staining his shiny lips and chin.

“Forgive me, Alpha.” He spoke, his voice a bit winded, running a thumb across his bottom lip. “I wanted to give you a great experience, but I won’t be able to fully take you in. Your knot is…” He breathed, gently releasing the base of Bruce’s cock. “...growing so fast. It’s so big already. It’s amazing.” The omega suddenly dipped back in, whimpering upon contact as his tongue coasted down Bruce’s length— enthusiastically and eagerly sucking him in.

Bruce groaned, his legs trembling at what he would call the finest blow job he’d ever received. The omega’s heated mouth and quivering lips, Bruce found bewitching, and without noticing, his mind had begun to close in on himself. 

“Hmn-!” The omega’s throat eagerly worked Bruce’s cock— every one of the alpha’s nerves popping off into tiny fireworks. Before long, Bruce’s fingers found themselves tangled between the strings of the omega’s hair. And without sanction, Bruce’s hips moved on their own accord, relieving the labor from below and setting his own pace. 

Soft choking noises sounded in the room, but Bruce was too far gone to notice the forceful exert of his strength. It was those flexible lips parting a bit past Bruce’s premature knot every time the omega went down; as well as that warm saliva dripping from the corners of the omega’s mouth that sent a frenzy of lust into the alpha’s mind. 

Bruce gritted through clenched teeth, wanting that wonderful warmth to go even further— over his knot and closer to his groin, circling his hilt. On top of everything, he wanted to bottom out in the omega’s throat and suffer in his scorching cavity. “Ngn-!” _His mouth was amazing-! So damn good!_ Bruce ignored the strain of clenching his teeth and closed his eyes, knowing what he’d have to do in order to receive that kind of pleasure. The opportunity to feel more was too good to pass up.

The Alpha’s strength, unbeknownst to him, had a mind of its own. Sinking further into the rut haze, white blanked his vision and with a low growl, Bruce suddenly snapped his hips forward.

With a strangled grunt, the omega choked bracing his strength on Bruce’s thighs as his mouth widened. The alpha could feel the omega’s throat tighten as a safeguard before the hand on his thigh clamped down hard enough for Bruce to wince. With the alpha’s hold now slackened, the omega yanked back, panting as he continued to push Bruce’s thighs down onto the bed. “Hold back, Alpha.”

The omega’s voice managed to tug Bruce from the haze and he noticed he was no longer laying down, but sitting up. He looked down at the omega whose eyes were prickling with tears and panting heavily as he smeared cum away from the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand. 

“I think we’re finished with that.” The omega rasped and flinched.

At that point, Bruce noticed that his fingers were harshly stretching the omega’s hair thin. Eyes widening, the alpha quickly removed his hand, breathing raggedly. “I… forgive me, I didn’t-”

“It’s fine.” The omega said bemusedly, rubbing a soothing hand on the alpha’s thigh. “You did nothing wrong.”

Before Bruce could call out his incompetence, his partner was crawling onto the bed and laying down next to him.

“Even though I wanted you to knot in me, I think it’s fine for you to experience it without something restricting you first.”

“But that's-”

“Hush.” The omega shushed him before effortlessly maneuvering Bruce’s head into the crook of his neck. “Relax...” Afterward, he lifted a leg over Bruce’s torso until he was secure against the bed. 

“What are you doing?” Bruce asked but didn’t dare move away from this surprisingly comfortable position. Instead, he chose to stare at the omega’s collar, breathing in as much of that lovely scent as he could get.

“Stay still for me.” The omega placed a soft kiss on the side of Bruce’s head, causing him to go stiff. If the omega noticed, he didn’t comment on it and chose to focus on the task at hand. “Do you think you can do that for me?”

Bruce stared straight ahead, unblinkingly as the omega’s gentle kisses continued to weigh on his forehead.

“I’m guessing that’s a yes then.” The omega ran a calming hand through Bruce’s hair and used his free hand to slowly reach down for the alpha’s cock. 

Bruce’s body jerked upon impact, for he’d almost forgotten that he was achingly hard. Mercifully, the pumping started. The sensitivity of his partner’s touch had Bruce panting till he was unconsciously latching onto the omega’s side.

“Let it out, just like this.” The omega soothed him. 

Bruce let out a groan, hearing his partner whisper in his ear once more.

“That’s it, just like thi—” The omega gasped when cum shot out as Bruce’s half-formed knot. He quickly pulled his hand away watching as warm seed spewed rivets of cum spilled onto both of their thighs. The omega brought his focus back on the alpha who was squeezing his waist tightly, huffing out little puffs of hot breath.

“It hurts-!” Bruce tensed, his breath hitching in painful waves as the rivets persisted on. 

“Shhh… I know…” The omega, brought a hand to Bruce’s cheek, comforting him. “It’s okay, it’s alright. Just let it all out.”

Bruce tried to ignore the strange sensation but it seemed inevitable. It wouldn’t stop. And being so close to his partner's scent glands wasn’t helping his case either. _Was snuggling like this a part of the job?_ Not that Bruce found it uncomfortable since he was hurting down below but it was… unfamiliar. Bruce had never been… embraced in such an affectionate way when it came to sex before.

He didn’t know whether he liked it or not. And he wouldn’t come to find out for a while, not with his strength giving out on him and his consciousness wavering. Not long after Bruce got used to being at the omega’s side did nature get the best of him and he unknowingly blacked out.

.

.

.

Dick sighed as he looked down at the completely withered alpha clinging to his side and continued to stroke his cheek. He knew the only reason the alpha was hurting, was because he hadn’t fully-knotted. And the only reason he hadn't fully-knotted, was because this alpha was holding back his instincts.

Also, Dick wasn’t an idiot.

He knew too much about an Alpha’s rut to not know that Bruce was lying about being 5-year rut deficient. Sure, that was a long time, but with these current circumstances, there was no way in hell that was possible. Taking into account how quickly his half-knot deflated, assured Dick of his certainty. Bruce Wayne was _not_ 5-year rut deficient. Especially when Dick has taken care of a 5-year rut deficient Alpha before. Even 6-year rut deficient Alpha’s had no problem with holding a full knot.

_What the hell had Dick gotten himself into?_

An Alpha that chose to stay in control was one thing. But an alpha who purposely resisted his instincts during his rut!? That was another thing entirely. _That couldn’t be healthy._ Having taken Dynamic Biology 101 in highschool was proof of his knowledge in the matter. _Alphas needed release._ For a person to be able to resist their instincts, especially during a rut, they would have to have been extremely strong-willed in both their physical and mental aspects.

Dick stared down at the unconscious alpha with sympathy etching his brow. _This situation was more than Dick had anticipated when it came to accepting Bruce Wayne as his relief partner._

Despite Dick having planned on taking a break for the next 2 weeks, he accepted Bruce Wayne’s request out of pure curiosity. If anything, he expected the alpha to be as rough and aggressive as any other alpha in a rut. He sure as hell looked the part, but come to find out, Bruce was nothing like that at all.

Bruce was… _inexperienced_. As much as Dick tried to disown that fact, never before has a 5-year deficient client not tried to jump him. And with Bruce’s inexperience came poorly made judgments. At the most, Bruce was defensive and grumpy but that rowdiness and brawn an Alpha usually had, he didn’t vaunt in the slightest. Especially not now, where he breathed heavily against Dick’s neck and held onto his waist like his life depended on it. 

Dick smiled down at him. Reducing an Alpha to this state was his specialty. A vulnerable Alpha that went limp like putty in Dick’s arms, was what turned him on the most. And usually, it took hours to get a lust-driven Alpha into a state of complete reliance. But with Bruce? It took less than thirty minutes. It had been ridiculously easy to calm Bruce down, and it was all because he was fighting to keep himself under control. Unfortunately, Bruce being in denial about the entire situation was even worse. 

Sighing softly, Dick slid off the bed, careful, as to not rattle the unconscious alpha. He headed to the bathroom, grabbed a towel, and drenched it in hot water before heading back towards the bed. Cleaning, Dick decided a long time ago, came with the job. If he wanted him and his partner to be comfortable without the sticky mess, then it was necessary. It was easier to do since Bruce was blacked out. Still, having fainted in the first place wasn’t beneficial to anyone.

Bruce fainted because he was not letting his instincts take over. Holding it all in was causing both his mind and body to strain and if he kept doing so, he would continue having half-formed knots and faint after every ejaculation.

_Dick had to do something or this week would come out uneventful._

He honestly thought that by letting his scent loose when they first met would’ve flipped the switch. _It didn’t._ Luckily, there was a change in Bruce when Dick was going down on him. A telltale sign to see if an alpha had let their instincts take over, was to see if their pupils were dilated. But Dick hadn’t even gotten the chance to see with Bruce fucking his mouth. Nevertheless, those little snarls and the roughness he exhibited, should’ve guaranteed his trek into the other side. And Bruce probably would’ve gone full instinctive alpha if Dick’s mouth had accommodated to taking in his knot. 

With that in mind, Dick was very gentle when he went and wiped Bruce’s limp cock. It hadn’t even been a full knot and it was still intimidatingly big. There was no way in hell Dick was going to be able to do it. Although, he could admit that it had been tempting at times… Moreover, it would be better to fully knot inside Dick in this case. Bruce needed full relief and Dick was here to provide that.

After cleaning off his own thighs, Dick threw the towel in what he thought to be the dirty laundry basket, washed his hands then went to sit back on the bed. He then looked over his shoulder and peered down at his poor relief partner as he organized his thoughts.

One: Bruce Wayne had been rut deficient for longer than 5 years.

Two: Bruce Wayne was only half-knotting.

Dick wouldn’t say that this was the hardest Alpha he’s ever had to deal with because he wasn’t. That prize goes to the Alpha’s who managed to pummel him through a wall. With Bruce, however, it was the exact opposite.

Dick was used to calming Alphas during their ruts. Making it so they were rational enough to function properly and enjoy the wonderful pleasure only given to them once every five months. He was called an ‘Alpha Tamer’ for that specific reason. What Dick wasn’t used to, was bringing _out_ an Alpha’s instincts. Not that it should be hard but… the playboy billionaire here wasn’t making it easy for him.

And as much as Dick loved putting Alpha’s in their place, it was obvious that wasn’t going to work here. He needed to go about this rut relief job another way, for he’d never left a client unsatisfied before and Bruce wasn’t going to ruin his perfect track record. 

If only Dick could find a way for Bruce to fuck him into oblivion and finally appreciate the wonders of a full rut like every Alpha should. That is to say, Dick was honestly looking forward to making Bruce Wayne lose hold of that restraint he so flaunted. 


	3. Drowning in Secrecy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry in advance for the mistakes I missed 😅

“Why is Father even doing this?” Damian questioned after convincing Alfred to tell them what Bruce was really doing. 

A soft sigh came from Alfred as he flitted around the kitchen. “We’ve already discussed this, Master Damian.”

“I know but having to use that type of program, it’s…” Damian tapered off, haphazardly poking his fork at the chicken on his plate. 

“It’s what?” Even as he answered, Tim didn’t let Damian’s ever-pesky mood stop him from eating Alfred’s late-night dinner.

“You know, it’s… RRP’s are unethical.”

“You make it sound like it’s a bad thing.” Tim pointed out.

“It’s not a bad thing... per se...” 

With reluctance, Tim set his fork down, trying to hold onto his last ounce of happiness. “RRP’s are the new norm, especially in the past 10 years. They’re also government-approved, so who are we to judge the people who work there?” Even though he said that Tim knew that there were people who _still_ thought those who worked for such programs were just ‘government-approved sex workers’— a.k.a, prostitutes.

Damian folded his arms while Alfred hummed in agreement with Tim’s statement. “I still don’t approve.”

Tim went back to eating the last of his dinner. “It’s not your say.”

Looking at Damian, Alfred moved to stand across the island counter. “We have to remember, Master Damian. Those that are close to going U-Feral, need to use these programs; they take pride in using them as well.”

“U-Feral,” Damian mumbled. _On occasion, their enemies used U-Ferals as an army of bait to fight off. They’re mindless animals._ “As if Father would ever stoop so low.” 

Tim rolled his eyes. “Why not be a good little Spawn and drop the topic, m’kay?”

“Call me that again and I’ll tell father how you snuck out of the house and spent the night with Superboy.”

Tim held his head high, not batting an eye— mostly to save himself from disgrace. _What Bruce doesn’t know won’t hurt him._ “I wouldn’t go there if I were you. We all have secrets and I’m also _eager and willing_ to let some of yours slip.” Tim teased in return.

“Young Masters, finish eating and get ready to turn in for the night. Remember, both of you have school in the morning.”

“Gladly, Alfred.” Damian continued to stare at Drake. “We wouldn’t want to get blood on the table.”

Tim ignored him. “At the end of the day, whether we like it or not, this is great for Bruce. It’s not like this is permanent. He’ll be back to normal in no time. All we have to do is wait.”

It wasn’t as though Damian would say it out loud, but perhaps what Drake said about RRP’s was right. _Who were they to judge?_ And it would be inconsiderate of him to think otherwise. Still, the possibility of his Father going U-feral didn’t sit right with him. It was ridiculous. _How could his Father let it get to this point?_ If it did happen, it would potentially be the last time he’d ever seen his Father again— sane, that is. 

~*~

Dick sat down on the bed with two glasses of water just in time for Bruce’s phone to light up with a notification. The name ‘Damian’ popped up on the screen before it went dark.

 _That’s right, this man had a son_ … three sons to be exact. Two of them were wards if he remembered correctly. Being that as it may, it was evident that Bruce had gotten someone pregnant at some point, else, his son Damian wouldn’t exist. On that note, seeing as Bruce struggled to hold a full knot, Dick could only picture Damian’s mother being a Beta because only an Omega that had been knotted fully during a heat, could get pregnant.

Dick had been subjected to hearing the many rumors spread by the media, leading him to believe that Bruce was not in need of an RRP. It was because there was this entire notion of Bruce Wayne having people throw themselves at him on a daily basis. That’s why rumors about who Bruce spent his rut with were perceived as obvious from an outsider looking in. He was a playboy, so who else would he spend it with? But it would seem that none of those rumors were true after all...

Dick set the cups on the nightstand, trading them in for his cell phone, and began to search the web: _‘Alpha’s being more than 6 years rut deficient’_

As anticipated, a whole bunch of U-Feral health risk websites came up. Nothing, not even Reddit or Quora had answers about this matter. It was as if the possibility didn’t exist. Dick dared to ask his boss about it but thought it was best to discuss the matter with the suspect at hand; it would be more thoughtful that way. 

Dick set his phone aside and returned to his spot by laying down next to the alpha. Though he was ready to make Bruce lose control, he would first need the alpha to admit to his lie.

\--

There was a soft purring sound when Bruce came too. He found his face nestled on the omega’s chest, comfortably breathing in his sweet scent. The purring continued when Bruce turned onto his back, eyes focusing on the handsome Omega staring down at him.

“Finally awake?”

Bruce blinked drowsily, feeling confused as to what happened.

“You fainted.” The omega said gently with his fingers running through Bruce’s hair. Soon, the omega’s brows crinkled with concern as his gentle caresses stopped along with his soothing purring. Shortly after, he reached beside him, bringing a glass cup into sight. “I brought some water for you.”

Bruce moved to sit up grabbing the glass, drinking leisurely. 

Dick watched him quietly, “Your knot lasted about two minutes. Normally, it would last about fifteen minutes, but you only half-knotted, so... that was the result.”

“What are you saying?”

“Mr. Wayne, I—.”

"It's alright." Bruce pulled the glass away from his lips and lifted his brow. “You can call me Bruce.”

“Bruce then… I need you to be completely honest with me.”

Bruce gestured for the strangely nervous omega to continue.

“... How many years have you been rut deficient?”

Noticing his lower half had been graciously covered with a towel, Bruce sat all the way up, placing the glass on the nightstand closest to him. “I told you 5.”

The omega blinked. “Bruce, I have 5 years of expertise in this field of work. I know the ins and outs of an alpha’s rut. With you, however… everything’s been off.”

Bruce’s expression remained impassive and he kept quiet while Dick remained patient and professional.

“I know it may be uncomfortable for you to admit but this is something I, as your relief partner, need to know in order for us to move on.”

Bruce moved to sit on the edge of the bed, securing the towel around his waist. With his back now facing the omega, he massaged his forehead in frustration. Feeling clammy and hot from his rut was only making his mood even worse. _But who was he to deny his relief partner the truth after his lie had been found out?_ With long seated reluctance, Bruce forced the confession from his lips, “...14 years.”

 _14 years!?_ Dick couldn’t believe his ears. _Was Bruce being serious?_ Dick’s disbelief hadn’t even had time to settle in before Bruce was admitting to the next thing.

“I’m at risk of going... U-Feral if I don’t do this.”

Dick looked down at his lap, shaking his head. “God… I… none of this was on your file. The interviewer should’ve asked these questions.”

“She did ask, but I didn’t specify nor did she ask me to,” Bruce stated.

“Well, she _is_ supposed to specify.” Dick stood and made his way around the bed, forcing the alpha to look at him. “Do you remember her name? I have to report her—”

“It’s not that serious.”

“This is very serious. This is a huge health risk, Bruce. RRP’s have certain Omega’s that deal with specific symptoms, and being at risk of going U-Feral, is one of them. It would be best to ask someone else with more experience.” Dick began to walk away, “I’ll call my boss and—”

“No,” Quickly standing up, Bruce grabbed the omega’s wrist, pulling until they were face to face. “This stays between us. No one else can know.”

Dick tried to extract his wrist only for Bruce’s grasp to tighten. “Bruce, that’s—”

“I’ll pay you extra.”

Others might think it was an insult to have someone offer extra money but Dick, not so much. As it stands, he was in desperate need of money and he was also an extremely sympathetic person. Even more so when Bruce seemed just as desperate as he was— as if his pride was on the line. 

Dick sighed softly. “You're a stubborn, Alpha. _Very_ stubborn.” 

“I’ve been told that.”

“And yet, you haven’t changed?” Dick gave a small grin and only then did Bruce’s grip loosen.

“It’s... hard to change.”

“Hm, well for this situation, I think you should consider changing, just a smidge,” Dick said as he coaxed Bruce to lay down on the bed. “Think about it, the only reason you’re in this situation is because you won’t let go of your control.” In saying that, Dick took a step back and began sensually untying the front of his robe. He let the garb fall completely to the floor, baring a nakedness that Bruce had a hard time looking away from. “You have to stop holding back your instincts unless you want to pass out again.”

Bruce swallowed thickly. As always, his relief partner was gorgeous— more than beautiful as his sun-kissed skin danced off the warm light awarded by the bedside lamps. “That'll be hard for me,” Bruce gruffly admitted.

“I get that, but you _have_ to take my advice on this.” When the omega stepped forward, Bruce could see shiny slick running down his inner thighs. Then the omega crawled on the bed and let his hands brace on either side of Bruce’s head. “It'd be so much easier for you if you did— better that way— to give in to your lust.” 

Even as Bruce’s mind screamed for him to take that advice, he let the urge go unattended as he unceasingly stared up at the omega. But holding back was growing difficult, especially as those slick soaked thighs encased his hips, his cock hardening at the slippery sensation. 

Dick watched the alpha’s internal struggle present itself in his rigid expression. It was strange… he was leaking slick, emitting a strong scent, ready for Bruce to take him, and yet... “Are you… are you afraid of hurting me?”

At that moment, the alpha went completely still, his eyes crinkling with a stirring emotion that Dick couldn’t decipher. 

_Was that it? Bruce was afraid of hurting him?_

“Don’t worry, you won’t hurt me. I’d knock you out even before you got the chance to.” There was a subtle flex in arm muscles as Dick smirked. Encouragement came easy on Dick’s end, but Bruce seemed to be pulling further and further away as the seconds passed. 

“Alpha…” Dick’s tender caress returned to the alpha's cheek, speaking softly. “Are you sure you want this?” There was no question that this exchange _needed_ to happen but Dick still felt the need to ask.

“Just keep going.” The alpha’s once vulnerable expression quickly turned aloof.

Worriedly, Dick held the alpha’s gaze, making sure he was serious about his answer. From Bruce's reaction, Dick could tell that there was something else holding the alpha back; something was being kept secret. Dick could only guess as to what it was. Not having a rut in 14 years? It was obvious that something serious must’ve happened to cause such a long-term deficiency.

“I guess we should speed things up a bit.” Dick finally conceded, sitting back and feeling the alpha’s cock twitch against his ass. “Let’s skip the foreplay. You’ve been patient long enough.” He decided to do this quickly, for he knew that Bruce’s Alpha was already forming cracks in his rationale. All Dick had to do was to loosen him up enough to fully rut. With that, now he was back on track with wanting to make Bruce lose control. In truth, he just loved making Alphas feel good. The sight was titillating and an Alpha’s pheromones during a rut were extremely mouth-watering, making him all the more wet and desperate. Dick’s heart thumped in anticipation as he lifted his hips and grabbed a hold of Bruce’s leaking manhood. His voice shivered, “I’ll reward you now...” 

Bruce exhaled when his partner put his hands on his chest as leverage and sunk down. Much like his own, the omega’s face was resolved from its worry and replaced with pure bliss. If only for a moment, Bruce allowed the sensation of that marvelous wet enclosure to set his mind elsewhere— preferably on the contours of omega’s gorgeous body.

As with everything else, Bruce’s partner was gentle with his motions— starting off with a slow bounce, rising and dropping down with minimal effort. Bruce shifted his sights toward the omega’s stomach as it tightened with each lift, causing a soft moan to spill from the omega’s lips. Before fixating his stare into the omega’s eyes, watching his brow twitch when dropping down. Soon, Bruce's hands landed on the top of omega’s thighs, squeezing just enough to leave little indents underneath his fingertips. 

_Watching his partner; just watching him like this_ — all open and euphoric as if he wanted to be at Bruce’s mercy. And Bruce’s alpha _wanted_ him to be at his mercy... a _willing omega was always the best catch._ _An omega spreading themselves like this… as if he wanted to be… bred… needed to be bred._ Bruce’s grip grew tighter; the indents deepening into the omega’s plush thighs. 

_He wanted more…_

“Alpha.” The omega called out while rolling his hips with such adorable little gasps and whimpers. “H-How do you feel?”

 _Like he was about to burst._ It was because this omega was giving Bruce all the warmth he never knew he needed until now. The pleasure made Bruce bite his lip but the need to fill the omega was something else entirely though. It was as if something was calling him forth to fuck the omega, fill him with cum, and knot him. 

_He needed more…_

Air blew through Bruce’s nose in harsh puffs, his throat growing tighter as a rumble threatened to emerge into a growl. The feeling of lust was as pure and as dark as the heat holding Bruce’s thighs in place. He wanted to thrust upward into the yielding and drenching heat that was made to fit his cock as the omega rocked up and down.

_God, he wanted to relish in this… he wanted to, so damn bad but…_

“Alpha-” Catching Bruce’s attention, the omega’s lips parted into a gasp as he stilled, seating himself fully on his aching erection. “Alpha, you can move if you want.”

Bruce was preening at the attention from such a gentle omega who had an equally angelic voice. As a consequence, he hesitantly brought his hands to omega’s hips. 

“You can… you can be a little rough.” The omega panted, his voice dipping into a soft seductive whisper. “I can take it.”

A surprised moan left the omega when the alpha suddenly thrust into him. He fell forward, having to catch himself on Bruce’s shoulders, panting harshly. Dick held on, expecting a continuation of the harsh rutting but in the end, nothing came.

“Alpha?” He sat back up, looking down at Bruce, who was now closing his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“I can't… I'm sorry.” Bruce’s voice trembled and he let his hands lay stationery against his side once again.

“You can’t fight it.” Dick released a soothing scent and let his hips roll back on the alpha’s hardness at their own accord. _“Don’t_ fight it. Let your instincts be free and-”

“No…” Bruce looked off to the side with a hardened expression. “...No.” He said again, making sure Dick understood that this wasn’t up for debate.

With an unspoken sigh, Dick leaned forward, looking down at the alpha with more worry than before. There was no doubt that Bruce Wayne was experienced when it came to sex but that’s because he wasn't fighting to hold back his instincts. Like now, with Dick, Bruce was averse and so very lost when it came to going against his reluctance. 

It was sad, really and for some reason, Dick felt as if there was something more to this than just Bruce simply not wanting to hurt an omega. This unshakable willfulness of his was not something that appeared overnight. 

_What the hell happened to you, Bruce Wayne?_

Dick wished to ask, but right now wasn’t a good time. Right now, he urgently sought to change Bruce’s resistance. It’s because he firmly believed that Omegas and Alphas alike should be able to unwind and enjoy themselves in their most vulnerable moments.

Dick completely lifted himself off Bruce’s cock, gasping softly when the head slipped past his rim. This seemed to startle Bruce and he swiftly sat up on his elbows, giving Dick a questioning stare.

“What are you doin-”

Dick shushed him. “Don’t worry, Alpha. I’m not going anywhere.”

Dick maneuvered his body around, until his back was facing Bruce. Bending forward, Dick let his hands crawl down Bruce’s legs until they were on either side of the alpha’s calves and his ass was presented for all to see. Slowly, he spread himself, displaying the slick spilling from his hole. “You see this, Alpha?”

He could hear the quiver in Bruce’s breath.

“Look here.” Dick’s fingers drifted towards his wet rim. “See?” Pulling along the damp edges, he could feel warm fluids gather on his palm and slowly slide down his arm. “See how I’m all ready for you?”

Dick could feel his cheeks flushing red, the longer he let himself be exposed like this. It was slightly unpleasant but he didn’t let that root out his professionalism. “Right here… where you were before… inside me.” Dick almost bit his tongue at the sudden deafening grip of Bruce splaying his hands on the omega’s ass cheeks. 

Hearing the rumble in the alpha’s voice, Dick shivered, “That’s right,” biting his lip as he pulled his hand away. It was one of the most basic forms of submitting and as expected, it was working in his favor. He just had to keep it up, if only to entice the poor alpha.

“It's yours.” Dick continued, glad to please, and received a soft growl in response. “Yes, Alpha… ” He smirked a bit, leaned forward, and pushed back until he felt Bruce’s cock rub in between his ass cheeks. “Here, inside…” He panted, growing hornier by the second. He was ready for Bruce to enter him again and by any means, he hoped Bruce was feeling the same way... “It’s all yours.”

The alpha’s calloused hands tightened around his hips, slowly bringing him closer. At this point, Dick let the alpha do as he pleased— going full submissive mode when he thought this was the last resort. He moaned softly at the hard cock massaging against his leaking hole, spreading the dampness at random. Dick tried to relax, not knowing what Bruce’s next move would be. He was quiet, which was usually a sign of an alpha having lost their rationale. But seeing as Bruce hadn’t forced his way inside him yet, Dick could only assume the alpha was still battling his control. 

Dick chose to test the alpha’s limits by pulling away, and as intended, he received the same reaction as before. _Bruce wouldn’t let him go._ This time with an impending growl, the alpha tightened his grip and Dick tried not to wince at the heightened pain. It wasn’t enough to want to stop, but it sure as hell would leave bruises by this time tomorrow. _Not that Dick minded_... which was why he chose to try again— testing his limits and accepting another rough tug if only to spur the alpha on even more. 

"Alpha… hurry, take what’s yours.” He baited during their small game of going back and forth. And by the ever-growing growls coming from behind him, Dick knew Bruce was losing some semblance of his control.

Dick’s erection twitched with excitement at the feel of Bruce’s cock finally lining up with his hole. He gripped the sheets below, lowering his head between Bruce’s knees when he was breached. “Mn-! T-that's it.” He could only imagine what Bruce was seeing from this angle. An omega, dripping with slick all exposed and open, ready for the taking, engulfing his huge cock with little to no resistance. The thought made Dick tremble as the alpha’s cock did just that, stretching his hole bit by bit, sucking everything in. 

“That’s it- Ah! Slowly… Just like that.” Dick bit his lip, urging the alpha to move with his gasping encouragement. He let Bruce have full control all the way until he bottomed out with his ass, hitting the alpha’s rigid pelvis. 

As rare as it was, Dick was struggling to hold himself together. This angle had Bruce’s shaft grazing at just the right spot. And Bruce wasn’t moving; he was just sitting there, continuously rubbing at the same spot. Dick whimpered and his knees shivered. Although Bruce’s hold on the omega’s hips was strong, Dick knew the alpha was contemplating and possibly trying to break away from his instincts. Dick briefly wondered if he tried to move, himself, would Bruce get the message and start thrusting. _Hopefully, he would... Dick couldn’t take this anymore._

_In all honesty, Dick just hated abasing his body to this— being this submissive on the job… he wasn’t used to it at all._

Whether he liked it or not, he made it his mission to help Bruce. The alpha was in need of a complete restoration when it came to being, well… an Alpha. Every now and then, even Alpha’s needed to surrender to their true nature and if that were true, then so did Omegas.

“Alpha,” Dick whined, beginning to move his hips on his own accord— slowly and steadily making sure his hips were canted in a way to show off everything. “D-do you like what you see that much? Is that why you’ve stopped moving?” He muttered after his skin was once again molten against Bruce’s lap. 

“Don’t… don’t tempt me.”

Dick paused, hearing Bruce’s voice for the first time in a while. It was breathlessly strained as he tried to sound serious and demanding. But Dick could see through all of it. _Just one more push then maybe..._

“You can fuck me however you want, you know? It’s yours after all…” Dick faltered, going quiet as a sudden thought struck him. “...Or maybe you’re looking for something else? Is that it?” With shivering legs, Dick slowly sat up and looked over his shoulder, seeing Bruce’s torturous constraint as an attractive vulnerability. “Is it that… you want to fill me up with your... pups?”

The silence was deafening but it only seemed to inspire Dick’s seduction. _Why hadn’t he thought of this before?_ No alpha, no matter how in control they were, could resist a good breeding. Dick had no plans on ever getting pregnant but even he liked to indulge himself in this type of play every once in a while.

“To be full of your seed…” Dick proceeded to lure the alpha. “Round and heavy with your pups… _so heavy and full_ …” He pulled out a submissive whimper, tilting his head to the side as a way of submissively baring his neck. “Please Alpha… fill me up… I want to hurry and have your pups- Ah-!” Dick’s voice caught at the back of his throat as he was bucked forward when Bruce started pounding into him. He caught onto Bruce’s knees and began moaning loudly.

“Just like that…” Dick cooed with the purpose of enticing the alpha even further. “Keep going, just like that… Right there-!” From behind him, he could hear that innate growling and snarling he was used to. He could feel slick sticking to his ass and stretching thin as he was tugged back and forth. And when the rocking increased, driving into him again and again, Dick knew Bruce was a complete goner.

“Haah-! That’s it, Alpha-!” He accepted the shallow thrusts as they slammed into his backside. The alpha’s thrusts were too punishing to even attempt to not hold on for dear life. That’s why if Bruce’s fingers weren’t pressed into his hips, Dick wouldn’t be able to stay balanced. It was tormenting really— how good his body felt during times like these— being driven into again and again— having the breath knocked out of him with thrust. He could only hope Bruce was getting his money’s worth.

“Ahn… Good… hah-!” Every single one of his breaths was a gasp, either that or he was moaning loudly as his hips were snapped forward. Dick’s own cock was dripping at the tip but he determinedly made no move to touch it and kept his face buried in the sheets below. He knew he could wait it out, nonetheless, seeing at how good he was being fucked, perhaps he would come untouched instead. 

With all the strength Dick could manage, he pushed back on the alpha’s cock, his back arching as he did. _Oh,_ how easy it was for him to take on the blunt force, _that_ was an Alpha thinking only with his cock. The sensation was committed to memory at this point. There were times when he got off just thinking about it— the loud slap of skin against skin, the fervent and jolting motions, the excessive grunts— _The alpha was feeling good because of him… the alpha was enjoying himself being inside of him…_ Dick gave a lewd sigh at the thought, wanting nothing more than to see Bruce’s face right now; to see how much he was enjoying it, even through the stupor of his rut.

“AH-!” Dick hissed after having been abruptly yanked back by a hand grabbing his neck. His entire body was forced to sit upright into Bruce’s never-ending rut pushing against him until his back hit the alpha’s chest. Dick quickly found leverage on the alpha’s thighs, still bouncing at the will of Bruce’s violent hands. The growling sounded louder now that Dick was closer to Bruce’s mouth and it all but proved the alpha’s loss of awareness. Nevertheless, the girth of the alpha’s cock slamming inside of him was satisfying. Everything felt wet, messy, and nasty and Dick was enjoying every second of it—

“Good, Alpha… y-you’re doing so well.” He praised softly, receiving another hard set of thrust in return. Bruce’s scent had gotten stronger too, almost mind-numbingly strong. To the point where Dick had to lay his head back on Bruce’s shoulder and just take it. He allowed his body to move in any way the alpha liked it. All he did was hold on and attempt to meet Bruce’s upward thrust.

“More, Alpha-! Keep going, just like that-!” Dick urged through heavy breaths while latching an arm around Bruce’s neck, his back arching. “So… good-!” He stared up at the ceiling, choosing to turn his head slightly and finally view Bruce’s expression. Not surprisingly, the alpha’s pupils were dilated and darkened with lust as he stared hazily down past the omega’s shoulder. He probably wasn’t even aware of what he was looking at right now or what he was doing. All he knew was that his cock needed release and the sweet-smelling omega in front of him would offer that.

Dick brought a hand to his cheek, “Look at me, Alpha.” He shifted his head until they were eye to eye. The omega let his lips part with a sigh as he watched Bruce’s raggedly breath through his mouth— his brows creasing at just the right juncture to display in pleasure. Dick arched a bit more, allowing himself to bathe in satisfaction of having brought Bruce to such a state. “Knot me.” He spoke unconsciously. In response, Bruce’s fingernails break through the skin of Dick’s hips, causing him to wince. “Mhn-!” He ignored the pain and continued to caress the alpha’s cheek— watching as Bruce listlessly continued to stare down at him. Eventually, Dick grew curious as to what exactly Bruce could be thinking...

_...Bruce had already envisioned his life as a narrow straight, deciding early on that these instinctive distractions weren’t needed. He had other things to worry about at the time— training and becoming a better father were a few of them. Things like mating and instincts would only hinder is one goal in life. And yet… he was lost… only chasing after what blinded him of every other sense he had. His mind had ceased to hold onto anything valuable except for the heat below. It was the heat that continued to trap him. A heat; an urge that not even him getting hurt could stop. He was stuck in the midst of a waterfall overriding his rationale. Still, he was afraid he’d never know when he’d wandered too far. For instincts were intended to keep a person’s reasoning in the background until the very point of no return—_

A piercing shout wrenched the insentientness of Bruce’s mind back into awareness. Something soft and pliable secured Bruce’s teeth and all he could taste was a coppery saltness. He felt the weight of the sweet-smelling omega convulse as a displacement flowed gracelessly between them. 

“Alpha.” The omega whimpered and Bruce felt a tug on his hair, pulling him away from the savory goodness that threatened to bind him forever. “Alpha, wait.” The omega said again, as Bruce licked his lips. The alpha’s vision was blurry as he moved forward, seeking to sink his teeth into something truly binding. A snarl sent him forward as his teeth clanged with something hard. He flinched and the fogginess of his mind departed faster and faster as something tugged his head back once again.

“Alpha… Bruce, stop.” The omega panted.

The sound of his name wavered Bruce’s resolve.

“Bruce... I need you to concentrate on my voice, okay?” 

A soothing scent surrounded Bruce in an attempt to rationalize who was talking to him. _Who… Where was he…?_ It didn’t take long for Bruce’s mind to fully clear itself from the haze and… _Blood_ … The omega’s shoulder, indented with multiple teeth marks, had blood spilling over his shoulder and down his heaving chest.

“Alpha, you with me?” The omega— _his relief partner_ —Bruce came to realize, spoke to with an underserved gentleness.

“I’m…” Bruce shivered, his voice filled with deep regret. “I’m sorry, I didn’t… I didn’t mean to… I didn’t—”

“Shhh…” Dick pressed their cheeks together. “It’s okay.”

“It’s... not, I-”

“Hush, Alpha. I’m fine. You just surprised me, is all.”

“No, I… I’m sorry...” Bruce’s gut filled with nausea as he stared at what he’d done. _Disgusting… truly repulsive, to have gone so far... and yet… Bruce could feel his knot forming, cumming inside of-_

“Hush.” The omega rubbed his cheek and Bruce almost retched. “You didn’t bite my neck.” The omega slowly leaned forward, wincing as he moved his shoulder, but proceeded to bare his neck. “See? My collar’s still there. So it’s fine, alright? You did nothing wrong.”

Dick was suddenly pulled out of this blissful state when Bruce’s body gave way behind him, falling to the bed. He looked over his shoulder, finding the alpha passed out and he sighed, hanging his head low. 

_Bruce had half-knotted, once again._

~*~

“Ah, Fuck.” Dick flinched as he poured alcohol on his bleeding shoulder. He hissed and pinched the skin just above his elbow to level out the pain as he waited for the stinging to pass.

As he grabbed a cotton ball from the first aid kit, his phone vibrated with a call from his boss. He picked up:

"Donna."

_“You didn’t answer my text earlier. Are you still alive over there?”_

“I’m fine.” Dick’s voice hitched as he dabbed the cotton ball over the sensitive teeth abrasions.

_“You don’t sound fine. Tell me what’s up?”_

"I'm a little worse for wear, right now," Dick said as he looked at, not just one, but multiple bite marks lining his shoulder. Then he peered down at the flaming red fingernail scratch marks, dripping beads of blood down both of his hips. He dreaded having to pour alcohol over them, in the end, he would have to overcome that fear.

_"You? Seriously?"_

"Unfortunately." His perfect record of coming out of every relief session ‘without a scratch’ was no more. When all was said and done though, he was just thankful the first aid kit was easy to find.

_"Do you want me to send someone else in?"_

Dick snorted. "You make it sound like I’m on some combat mission or something.”

_“Dealing with an Alpha in Rut might as well be. But seriously, if you need me to send someone else in, I can have that done in less than an hour.”_

“No, no, don’t do that. I promised I’d stay with him.” This was a mistake on Dick’s part. All because he’d gotten a little too comfortable and cocky. It was obvious that if Bruce lost control that he would have no ounce of control over his Alpha. Not having a rut in 14 years, well… that was bound to put him in a greater instinctive state than most. Bruce was almost like a newly presented Alpha that attacked anything in sight. God, imagine if he was on his heat, Bruce would probably tear him apart. 

“Listen, Don, I’ll call you back after I take a shower.”

_“Alright. If need be, you can always use that pepper spray I got you.”_

Dick laughed into a grimace as he poured alcohol on the scratches lining his left hip. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

The call ended and Dick was left standing there alone, finishing up the last of his wound cleansing. Deciding to put a few gauzes and bandages on after he took a shower, he peered at himself in the mirror. The first bite Dick received was surprising but it wasn’t enough for him to stop everything. Unfortunately, the bites just kept coming after that, and Bruce wasn’t even conscious enough to hear his cries.

Dick sighed, as he made his way to the shower, cringing as cum dripped down his inner thighs. _Why was he doing this to himself?_ He could easily send in someone more qualified to save himself from this torture, but he couldn’t. Besides Bruce offering to pay more money, the alpha was… there was just something sad about the entire situation and it was enough to make Dick stay.

Dick fidgeted with the foreign knob and turned on the water, not wanting to admit that he came after Bruce had bitten him the first time. The biting honestly didn’t feel as bad as he thought it would be. It felt… nice somehow. Maybe it was because Dick had a serious Service Kink— he knew Bruce was enjoying it, therefore he was enjoying it too. Actually, he wouldn’t mind if it happened again… 

At the thought, Dick’s scent glands throbbed in response. It was with hesitance that he removed his collar as he stepped into the shower, setting it on the shelf. He let his fingers run over what would’ve been the flat surface of his nape, if not for the old mating bite that sat there. Shame ran through Dick’s heart, enough to make him swiftly remove his hand.

“Ugh.” He let the water splash on his face in an attempt to get rid of those thoughts. _Fucking instincts. Tiresome and annoying._ That’s one thing he and Bruce could agree on. Dick wouldn’t let himself get distracted by such things ever again. That naive mistake of his was to be left in the past. He was doing this job for one thing and one thing only— to make money and that was it.


	4. Getting Acquainted

Having expected Bruce to wake up a couple of minutes after he fainted, Dick patiently waited beside him on the bed. Seeing as he’d been waiting for almost thirty minutes, the omega determined that Bruce may have fallen asleep and decided to get some rest as well. It was much needed since he was aching beyond belief but he didn’t sleep for long. 

It was 7 a.m when he awoke, first checking to see if Bruce was still asleep. He was. And with a scent that had diminished into a soft, easing aroma that suggested he was in one of his down periods. If Dick’s timing was right, Bruce would stay placid for at least a couple of hours upon waking up. Then at random, his scent would spike and Dick would have to be ready to help the alpha complete his rut. 

Doing a quick morning routine and dressing in what he deemed as customary, Dick journeyed down the stairs, still in awe with how nice the penthouse looked. Especially with the way the rays from the rising sun angled through the tall windows cascading light throughout the spacious room filled with costly furnishings. It was something Dick wished to afford and should be able to with the money he was making, but other expenses were more important at the moment.

Currently, he was rooming with his best friend/boss, Donna Troy and she too lived in an enormous penthouse in Metropolis. Dick was never one to obsess over material things but he could appreciate having been spoiled by meeting a person such as Donna. She had gladly offered him a place to stay for the time being as well as a job that paid him more than any other job he could get without a college degree.

Calling said best friend, Dick made his way to the fridge, opening it up for the first time and seeing a stock full of food.

_“Dick, don’t kill me just yet but… I accidentally mixed in your white T’s with my red blouse.”_

Dick adjusted the Bluetooth earbud before setting his phone somewhere on the counter. “That’s another one added to the list of ‘wear inside the house only.’”

_“Sorry, I’ll get you a 10 pack from the store tomorrow.”_

Dick hummed as he sifted through the fridge, pulling out a few items that seemed worthy of preparing.

_“Now that I’m being a good samaritan, you think you can tell me how everything’s going?”_

“My lips are sealed.”

_“Why?”_

“Because he asked me to keep it a secret.” With his elbow, Dick shut the fridge door, mentally going over a list of appliances he’d need to find and use to make breakfast.

_“Not to be rude or anything but even if you don’t tell me what’s happening, I think everyone knows what they need to know about 'Mr. Playboy.'"_

“How did you know who I was— you checked my clientele list again?” Dick sighed, bending to his knees to search through the cabinets for a frying pan. “I told you to stop doing that, Don.”

Donna laughed as if Dick was being absurd. _“It’s my job to know who everyone's patron is.”_

“You promised you wouldn’t do that with _me,_ at least _.”_

_“Just tell me why you’re, and I quote, “worse for wear” right now. You never say that. I’m worried about you.”_

Hearing Donna’s concern, Dick softened his reply. “I’m fine and in perfect health.” In saying that, Dick searched around the cabinet with a sort of stiffness in his wounded shoulder as he retrieved 2 frying pans.

_“I don’t believe you for a second, you know that?”_

“I know.” Dick set the frying pans on the stove, knowing he was reluctant in telling her what _exactly_ had been going on. Being his best friend was one thing but as a boss, Donna was relentless. No one, whether they were workers or clients, could escape her wrath. She was lenient with Dick but that didn’t mean he was free from every single consequence. Hence why he was still cautious about telling her certain things. If Donna were to find out that Bruce was at risk of going U-Feral, and had somehow bypassed major interview questions, well… let's just say both him and whoever that interviewer was, were going down. 

It was because Omegas were put at a _huge_ risk when taking on and Alpha they weren’t qualified to tend to. In certain cases, Omegas have ended up dying at the hands of their rut partners because of that. Moreover, Donna wasn’t about to have blood on her hands and tarnish her hard-earned business position.

“He’s just a bit rougher than what I’m used to.” Dick half shrugged, laying out a package of bacon, 4 eggs, and pancake mix.

_“You upped your pain level just last month. You’re telling me he’s even worse than the last guy?”_

“It’s nothing I can’t handle.” And Dick was telling the truth. Being bitten and scratched was no skin off his back. Though he dealt with mostly ‘taming’ alphas, he still needed a high pain level when doing his job. Some Alphas were resistant when going against their ‘roughhousing’ instincts and Dick had a high pain tolerance in order to deal with such things before they got to the relaxing part. Even then, he’d always come out without a scratch and that’s only because Dick wouldn’t allow any penetration until after they'd calmed down. This differentiated with Bruce’s situation, seeing as Dick would have to acquaint himself with the roughhousing _while_ they were fucking. And that’s why he was in the mess he’s in now.

Donna sighed. _“I’ll let you off the hook just this once but if something happens, you're fired and his ass is toast.”_

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

_“On a happier note, you can now give me an inside look at who this Mr. Playboy actually is.”_

Dick knew this was coming sooner or later and answered with what he’d seen thus far. “He’s stubborn, straight-laced, and short-spoken.”

_“Wow, the dreaded 3 S’s. I didn’t expect that.”_

“But also, extremely... vulnerable at times,” Dick said pertaining to Bruce’s lack of experience, recalling how easily he clung to the omega’s side during his half knot. 

_“Vulnerable… so what you’re saying is, he’s your type.”_

“Shut up.” Dick laughed. "He's not."

_“You lie. I know all your kinks, Dick.”_

“Not all of them.” He chuckled, flinching when he heard footsteps on the stairwell. “Don, I have to go.” He quickly whispered, hearing Donna say 'Good Luck’ before grabbing his phone to end the call. Like a child getting caught doing something bad, he faced the staircase with a timid smile.

“Good morning.” Dick watched a shirtless Bruce Wayne make his way down the steps with a face that was as stern and aloof as it had been since they first met. It was a bit off-putting, considering all the tabloids showed a more… happier version of the billionaire. _Did he really hate having rut’s that much?_

“Morning,” Bruce responded after coming around the island counter, facing Dick with a fault ridden look. “I would like to apologize for earlier.”

Dick took a second to figure out what he was talking about but remembered after adjusting his footing- remnants of pain throbbed on his hips. “Oh, no it’s ok-”

“It’s not okay.” Bruce cut in. “I hurt you. It should've never happened.”

“No, really, it’s okay. It’s fine.” Dick laughed it off. “It’s a part of the job. I’ve been bitten more times than I can count.” He smoothly lied, smiling as he did.

“Still, it won’t happen again.” Bruce’s faulty expression didn’t let up, looking at Dick like he wanted to be reprimanded.

“Let’s just forget about that for now…” Dick gave a reassuring expression, quickly moving on. “It looks like you’re having a down period- should last for at least 2 hours. You should take a load off and maybe get a shower in? Watch TV? Relax a bit. I’ll change the sheets and whip something up for you.”

Bruce raised a brow. “...Cook?”

“That’s also a part of the job…” Dick cocked his head. “Didn’t you read the contract terms?”

“I didn’t.”

“First the interviewer and now the most basic of conditions.” Dick made fun and laughed under his breath. “Usually, Alpha’s aren’t in their right mind to do _anything_ even in their down periods, so it’s obvious that they wouldn't be able to _cook_ either.”

Bruce quickly understood. “I see.”

“Think of it as a spousal spa treatment. I cook, I clean,” _I give you my ass,_ “While you sit back and relax. It’s not unusual. They do that for Omegas in HRP’s too.”

“...Does it usually come with this…” Bruce’s eyes ran over the omega’s form. “Attire...”

Dick peered down at himself, finding Bruce’s t-shirt hanging from his shoulders and covering a portion of his upper thighs. “You... don’t like it? Normally, Alpha’s like an Omega who smells like themselves. It keeps them calm and collected.”

“I think we’ve already established that I’m not like other Alpha’s.” As hard as he tried, Bruce couldn't seem to take his eyes off of the omega, but Dick advanced with his next statement anyhow.

“...Right. I can take it off if you want me to-”

“No,” Bruce cautioned, his hands lifted away from his sides as if to physically stop the omega. “You... can keep it on.”

Dick lifted a brow, indifferently flattening the wrinkles of Bruce’s t-shirt. “So, you _do_ like it then?”

It was prompt when Bruce pulled his sights away, turning around at the same time. “I’ll go and take a shower.”

Dick watched him go, a smile forming on his lips. He found Bruce’s restraint extremely amusing. Whether they were in the bed or not, the alpha seemed to hold off on showing his true colors. He was always too stern and control obsessed. It sounded like a handful— it was— nevertheless, Dick made a habit in breaking down the walls of his clients and Bruce Wayne would be no different.

~*~

[Damian]: You have some explaining to do.

[Jason]: Who is this for?

[Damian]: Father...

…

[Damian]: He’s joined an RRP

[Jason]: RRP? 

...

[Jason]: Nvr knew the old man had it in him

...

[Tim]: U guys have no shame whatsoever!

Bruce sighed, deciding to mute the group chat before his stress level reached its max. It was obvious Alfred had told them where he was. It wasn’t as if Bruce told him to keep it a secret but he just expected Alfred to _assume_ that he didn’t want anyone else to know.

Bruce sighed again, wanting to ask the boys if everything went alright with patrol last night. Being as no one commented on it, Bruce supposed nothing major happened. With Babs there to watch over them, everything should’ve been fine. Despite telling Tim and Damian that they’d be alright on their own, he still told Babs to be there for guidance and extra reinforcement. If anything was wrong, she’d be the first to contact him.

Bruce pocketed his phone, the smell of breakfast beckoning him out the door. It was unusual to have someone that wasn’t his family, cooking for him. It was even more unusual to ‘live’ in a house with someone he didn’t know but shared a bed with. His relief partner was very casual with everything and why wouldn’t he be? He was used to it. It was supposed to make Bruce feel comfortable and it would’ve if only he’d allowed himself to unwind. 

In spite of being in a down period, the strange symptoms that came with his rut still lingered. No matter how dull they were, they put him on edge. Bruce wasn’t accustomed to any of this and he didn’t know if he ever would be. All he could do now was hope it went well. And if that meant making conversation with his gorgeous relief partner, then he would. It’s not like it could hurt him.

Bruce descended the steps, hearing that satisfying sizzle of food hitting the pan. Along with that amazing smell, lucid smoke rose into the air, guiding him into the kitchen. Right at the moment, he was going to speak, he was quickly kicked out of the kitchen and told to go relax. With little left to say, Bruce did just that by making his way to the living room. He turned on the TV, leaving it on the news channel since he wasn’t interested in watching anything else. In fact, he found his interest drifting to the figure standing in the kitchen.

Since the couch was facing the kitchen's entirety, he had a clear view of the omega wistfully strolling around and breezily mixing things together. Every once in a while, he winced, rubbing his shoulder on the place where... Bruce bit him. 

Bruce was quick to look away when he thought back to last night. A bleeding shoulder and teeth marks created by none other than Bruce himself. _That should have never happened._ Bruce knew better than this. Even as he said that he could barely remember what happened the moment he lost control. Little snippets here and there, featuring the omega’s lovely ass and lithe back, stretched out to accommodate him but everything else was a blur. 

His conscious self would’ve never done anything like that. His conscious self would’ve been instantly turned off and escaping to somewhere far away. Unfortunately, his rut didn’t fraternize with his conscious mind; _his rut did what it wanted._

“Guess we can’t depend on Superman for everything.”

Startled from his thoughts, Bruce looked up, finding his relief partner staring at the TV as he walked over with a plate of food. Footage of Superman apprehending a few common thugs made Bruce pull his eyes elsewhere. A plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and a stack of pancakes were placed on the coffee table along with a glass of orange juice.

Bruce muttered a quick ‘thanks,’ watching the omega bend forward, wanting to push the coffee table closer his way. “Let me.” Bruce stopped him, not wanting to irritate the wound on his partner's shoulder even more. Sitting down, he took a swift sip of his orange juice, seeing the omega step back and peer at the TV once again. 

“Would be nice if more heroes like him were around.” The omega said with an admiring twinkle in his eye. “I think the villains of Gotham, especially, could use a little righteous discouragement.”

It was an accident when Bruce let out a soft chuff akin to a laugh, causing the omega to glance his way.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.” Bruce began eating, seeing the omega head back into the kitchen, and grab his own plate of food. 

“You live in Gotham?” Bruce dared to ask once the omega returned to the livingroom, sitting down on the couch across from his. He wasn’t expecting the omega to perk up as he did, smiling slightly, as if he was happy to have a conversation; particularly, having Bruce start one.

“No, I live in Metropolis. But I used to live here.” Dick gave Bruce his full attention, happily chewing a piece of bacon. “Believe it or not, I grew up here. And I’m guessing you asked that because you disagree with my statement?”

“I don’t agree nor disagree.” _As he always did._ “Your opinion is purely subjective.”

“Subjective, huh?” The omega watched Bruce eat with a careful eye, wanting to tease. “Tell me something Mr. Wayne, do you think the Caped Crusader does a good job at protecting this city?”

“What do you think?” Bruce countered, truly wanting to ask about that ridiculous moniker he’d been given.

Dick casually crossed his legs, bringing the plate to his lap as he thought. “As long as you're asking… I think he’s…” A playful smirk crossed his face. “The Joker’s bitch.”

Bruce coughed into his orange juice, blindly depositing it on the table.

“You okay?”

Bruce nodded, holding up a finger, letting his coughs diminish. The only other person he’d expect to say something like that (to his face) would be Jason. Granted, Dick didn’t know who he was but even as Bruce Wayne, he hadn’t heard anyone say something like... _that._

“All kidding aside,” Dick proceeded, causing Bruce to tune in with caution. “If any third rate criminal knows that Batman will drop in and beat the living hell out of them, they might think twice about committing a crime next time around. But as hardcore as he is I think he’s irresponsible and distrustful.” 

“...Distrustful.” Bruce queried.

The omega hummed around the rim of his cup, pulling it away and speaking once more. “I don’t know everything that goes on behind the scenes but with Superman, it’s like... everything’s out in the open.” The corners of the omega’s lips curved upward. “You just know that to him, the safety of the citizens _always_ comes first and that’s why I trust him more.” He reached for another piece of bacon, unaware of what his comments had done to the Dark Knight himself. _Distrustful and irresponsible_ … that’s what most of the public thought. Sadly, his relief partner was no different.

“So, how’s the food?” The omega asked. “Good?”

“It’s good,” Bruce said, clearing his throat, wanting to quickly steer the conversation somewhere else. “You mentioned earlier, that you’ve joined Heat Programs before?”

“Once or twice. I wasn’t at risk like you but, it was highly recommended that I at least try. And...” The omega bashfully averted his eyes, hesitating to say something else.

“What is it?” Bruce easily encouraged.

“Well, I… it’s random but I was just going to say that using an HRP is actually what convinced me to join and RRP.”

Seemingly intrigued, Bruce encouraged even further. “How so?”

Dick sat up for this, setting his half-eaten plate of food flat on his thighs, “I thought, why not be the Omega that Alphas are to their heat partners? Taking care of them with an indulging and calm approach.” 

In an HRP, Dick was treated like royalty. The Alpha’s he’d gotten made it their mission to make sure Dick felt comfortable with a stranger intruding in his own home. They’d helped Dick build his nest, offered him food, gratified him with various conversations, and caressed him in the same way a lover would. He began to think that all programs were like that. Donna, however, proved him otherwise. 

Having heard that Omegas were essentially used as props in the RRP’s, Dick thought it’d be better to switch things around a bit. When Dick debuted, and after a year of first-round practices to his technique, he got the hang of it and gained a reputation. If an Alpha wanted to relax during their rut, he was the one to call.

“Not many think pampering is a reliable thing but I think that even Alpha’s need a gentle touch every once in a while.”

Bruce was somehow mesmerized by his partner’s conviction. His outlook was simple but charitable, and Bruce got the impression that his partner was just an… exceedingly good person. “I’ll admit,” Bruce answered feebly, speaking from the heart for the first time he’d been here. “You're pretty good at it. It’s nice to see how serious you take your job.”

Hearing the word ‘job’ made Dick break into a smile and Bruce, for several reasons, wanted to always be the cause of such a reaction. 

“Thanks… No one’s ever told me that before. Well…” Dick’s smile dipped a bit. “I guess it’s because not many people think this ‘job’ is... commendable.” 

Except for his friends, no one really wanted to hear about Dick’s opinion when it came to working in an RRP. This is exactly why he never told anyone where he truly worked. Even then, a lot of his own clients overlooked his efforts, thinking an omega that was focused on relaxing Alpha’s was useless— that service omegas should just sit there and be pretty.

“It’s a job that helps people, isn’t it?” Bruce spoke as if it was a well-known fact, his expression mounted with earnestness. “I believe aiding people is as commendable as it gets.”

Eyebrows slightly raised, “Yes,” Dick’s heart gave a slightly harder thump. “It is.

It was slow when their gazes pulled away from one another, both of them eventually going back to eating. Dick chewed unhurriedly, letting Bruce’s words echo across his mind. He tried to hold off another smile, realizing that as of that moment, he now saw Bruce Wayne in a new light. Shrouding all that he’d seen in the tabloids, Dick replaced that Bruce with the Bruce who didn’t judge him for working in an RRP. Because, _that,_ right there, was all he’d ever wanted.

Casual conversation came easy to them after that, more along the lines of Dick talking openly about his job. Bruce listened intently, not having an ounce of judgment in his body. When the discussion flowed into more random topics, Bruce was careful not to bring up anything concerning superheroes, lest he wanted to hear the omega’s rather… debatable opinion about himself. Regardless of that, Bruce did learn a few things. 

It would seem that his relief partner had a considerable amount of… admiration for Superman— one that the alpha didn’t dare question, seeing as when the topic came up, that smile he’d come to blatantly revere brightened up the entire room.

When the time came around for them to retreat upstairs for another round, Bruce could see a considerable amount of change in the omega’s persona. Dealing with Bruce in rut, he was soft and gentle but it all seemed practiced and professional. For all that, no amount of professionalism could help Bruce hand over his control. And for the next few days, Bruce’s condition didn’t get any better. His half-knotting was as persistent as it had been since the beginning.

“Why are you so focused on holding yourself back?” The omega suddenly asked as he washed the last of the dishes leftover from their morning meal. 

“To avoid certain situations that warrant... foul actions.” It didn’t take Bruce long to answer, having now felt more comfortable around his relief partner. “It’s something every Alpha should be able to do.”

“Bruce…” The omega faced him while drying off his hands with a kitchen rag. “I understand that some control is needed but… it’s been 3 days and your rut could end anytime now before the 7-day limit.”

Bruce held off a sigh, choosing to massage the crook in the back of his neck. “I’m giving you trouble.”

“No, you’re not.” The omega claimed but his expression subtly showed Bruce everything he needed to know.

“It’s evident, I am.” He said and turned his sights elsewhere, hearing the omega exhale.

“I just don’t want you to go U-Feral and I’m pretty sure you don’t want that either.” When Bruce didn’t reply, Dick braved a question, “Did... something happen to you?” He’d been wanting to ask for days now. He hadn’t, simply because it broke boundaries that he wasn’t sure Bruce would be willing to admit to having. But it was high time now for Dick to know a little bit of something… they needed to get through this. “I mean, have you…” Looking uncomfortable, Dick scratched his arm, looking aside. “...raped…”

“No…” Disgruntled pheromones flared and Bruce gruffly stood up from the barstool, trudging towards the stairs.

“I-I didn’t mean to assume… I was just…” Dick immediately followed after. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ask that. It’s just that I’m anxious. I don’t want to trigger something by forcing you to let go and ruin everything.”

The air drifted into a short silence after Bruce made it to the top of the steps. “...I’ll try.” Bruce finally said, looking down at the omega with that same hardened expression Dick never hoped to see again. Just when Dick thought he’d broken down a few of Bruce’s walls, they’d gone back up _just like that._ And in the end, even Bruce’s resolution to try did nothing to change the situation. 

The 4th day was the same as the 3rd and the 2nd. And Dick was tired both mentally and physically by that point. He began to think that there was something seriously wrong with him— as an Omega, that is.

 _Was his scent not attractive enough? Were his skills in the bedroom just a run-of-the-mill?_

Dick knew that couldn’t have been it but he was still doubtful. He was also extremely worried— afraid he’d have to call the police if Bruce _did_ end up going U-Feral. That would incite a lot of attention on both Bruce’s part and his. The public would most definitely catch wind of it, meaning Dick would somehow be included in the mess. He could see the headlines now: _‘An Omega from an RRP couldn’t stop Bruce Wayne from going U-Feral?’_ Dick’s reputation would be ruined and what's worse was that Donna’s would be as well.

Dick had half a mind to just call Donna and have her bring in a more qualified Omega but that was before another idea overcame him.

_A risky idea..._

But Dick knew it was fail-proof, for it was the one thing no Alpha in a rut could resist...

~*~

Dick’s phone vibrated with a text from Garth, signifying he was at the door. With that, he wandered across the room, fiddled with the locks, and softly opened the door. He held a finger to his lips, making sure his friend stayed quiet, as to not wake up the alpha sleeping upstairs.

“Donna almost kicked me out for trying to sneak into your room,” Garth whispered as he dug around in his jacket pockets.

“Sorry. Did she suspect anything?”

“Hopefully not— Ah, I think I may have lost it.”

“Garth!” Dick gave a muted scream. 

“Give me one moment.” The Beta pushed his hair to one side as he reached into his back pocket.

“When’s your next hair appointment.” Dick teased.

“Don’t start with me, Dick.” Garth huffed, his eyes brightening once he found what he was looking for. “Here.”

“Thanks.” Dick held the silver steel casing in his palm. It was slender but small enough to fit a syringe inside.

“You sure you know what you’re doing? From what I’m seeing...” Garth looked him over. “You’re not looking too good.”

“I know.” Dick could feel the bags under his eyes. “I look and feel like shit. But I’m out of ideas.”

“This is huge. You haven’t spent a heat with someone since—”

“Don’t.”

“Sorry…” Garth awkwardly shifted on his feet. “I don’t know if Donna told you this but... _he’s_ been calling her and Wally for a few weeks now. Most likely trying to get in contact with you since you changed your number…”

Sighing, Dick brought a hand to his forehead and leaned against the door frame. 

“Don't worry, they didn’t answer, but I think he’s coming back to town soon.” Garth continued on, scratching the back of his head. “I don’t understand why he doesn’t just break your mating bond—”

“You know exactly why, Garth, I-” Dick cut himself off, trying not to rile himself up. “Listen, let's talk later. I need to finish this job.”

Garth gave a smile that was consolatory, at most. “Give me a call when you finish. I’ll pick you up.”

Dick froze, hearing something unexpected. "Driving, Garth. You?"

"I've gotten the hang of it in my time here." Garth grinned. "I plan to show off my skills when I come to get you."

“That’s... actually great. I can't wait to see it." Dick offered his Atlantean friend a playful push on the shoulder. "Thank's again, Garth.”

“Anytime.”

Dick closed the door behind him, walking into the living room and looking down at the case. Before long, he slid out the bottom compartment, showcasing a silver-coated syringe. He handled it with care, withdrawing it from the casing and holding it up in front of his eyes.

A Heat Inducer.

It was illegal to own an Inducer without means of medical applications. Only doctors and other licensed professionals could administer an Inducer to the public. Even then, the person using it would have to be proctored by someone who could maintain them in such a state. Because of that, Inducers began to be sold around in secret; notably, through the black market and various criminal organizations. And they were modified to fit the needs of those people who had connections to such organizations.

Not that it was anything to brag about but… Dick knew someone who had connections to those... questionable organizations. He wasn’t proud of it by any means, especially with the Inducer he now held in his hands. This was the one that he hadn’t gotten the chance to use yet. It was leftover because the person who made Dick use them before hadn’t visited him in a while.

Dick's glands throbbed as they searched for the person that currently possessed his thoughts but ached longingly, for that person wasn’t anywhere in his vicinity. 

The only problem with using one of these modified Inducers was how easily affected a person's mentality. Spending a Heat or Rut together at the same time was normal, and at best, detrimental when it came to mating with someone. But spending an Induced Rut or Heat together with someone was a different feeling altogether. 

The Inducing drug caused a thing called a Primal High. And during that high, it provided an almost... artificial mating connection with a person’s sexual partner. The mating connection was similar to an official bond but not so much. The difference remained in the lack of putting a bite mark on an omega’s neck. Without that, the drug's artificial connection only lasted as long as the coupling did and a few hours afterward. 

The reason these Inducers were so popular, was because drug-induced coupling was known to be the best sex a person would ever experience in their entire life. And after the coupling was done, a person would be able to spend a few hours basking in the wonderful sensations of having a temporary mate.

Even if only one person took the drug, their pheromones would change to accommodate to their partner's need for a mate. In this case, Dick’s pheromones would change to indulge Bruce’s Alpha, meaning he would identify Dick as his mate until the drug wore off and vice versa.

Dick took a shuddering breath as he stared down at the barrel, thoughts whirling a mile a minute. _The primal high… It was addicting… very addicting… pleasurably addicting. Which is why it was illegal._ He hadn’t used it in a while… years, even. To Dick, 2 weeks ago felt like _years_ in his mind. And he continued to convince himself that it was a _long_ time ago. _It should be alright to use just one barrel… it’s not like this was for his pleasure only, this was for Bruce; this was to help Bruce fully knot._

If Bruce smelled his “mate’s” scent as he went into heat, he should go full-on instinctive Alpha mode, wanting nothing more than to satisfy his mate and himself at the same time. That’s why Dick knew this plan was fail-proof. All he’d have to do was leave Bruce before he woke up, that way, he wouldn’t know Dick had used the drug and become attached to an artificial mate. If he were lucky, Bruce's amazing control would help enable the fake connection altogether. 

Dick quickly stood up from the couch, going to his backpack left on one of the bar stools. Digging through the messy bag, soon he snagged his pack of birth control pills. They were the strongest brand offered and highly recommended for workers like him. He trusted them 100% and took the appropriate amount for a person who was about to go into heat.

He made sure to send Donna a quick text, telling her he’d be alright without her checking in. He hated lying to her, but he'd already convinced himself this was the best option.

“Okay, Bruce Wayne.” Dick held the needle above his forearm that had already been healed from the previous uses. “You’ll owe me big time for this.” He drew in a breath once he pierced himself, exhaling softly as a familiar burn spread through his arm and body.

 _Money. Money. Money._ That’s all he was doing this for. He thought, also not wanting Bruce to go U-Feral especially when he had a family to take care of. With that resolve in mind, Dick’s thoughts begin to cloud, feeling elated as the drug began to take effect.

~*~

Dick groggily opened his eyes, feeling sedated and tranquil in the place he currently lay. He had half a mind to snuggle into the warmth of the bed and fall back asleep but thought better of it after feeling something move behind him. 

Becoming aware of his surroundings, his drowsiness cleared right up, leaving his eyes wide in dread. He didn’t dare move until he felt the body behind him settle into a motionless sleep once again. Thereafter, he allowed himself to breathe and started to, very slowly, pull away from Bruce’s heated form. Miserably, he found out that he was tangled within Bruce’s big spoon with the alpha’s arm tightly wrapped around his stomach, keeping him trapped. 

Soft breaths ghosted against Dick’s cheek, as he first sought for his cellphone. It sat right in front of him on the nightstand, but with how far back he was in the bed, it was out of reach. Dick didn’t plan on giving up though. He needed to text Garth and let him know he was ready to be picked up.

Through his endeavor of stretching out his arm, Dick was barely able to grab his phone before he got it to slide off the nightstand and into his hand with a single finger. Checking the time, he found that 3 days had passed since he took the Heat Inducer, knowing that's how long his heats usually lasted. Happy that everything was right on time, he texted Garth before restarting his attempt at getting out of bed.

When Dick tried to shift away, Bruce’s burly arm kept him in place but the omega remained persistent. With the last of his strength and careful movements, he managed to untangle his body from Bruce’s, sitting up with a huff. Just to make sure the alpha was still asleep, Dick quickly peered over his shoulder, and the connection from the primal high was instantaneous. Remembrances from the last three days passed over his thoughts:

_When Dick’s mind was in the haze of heat, nothing else mattered. A mindless Rut and a mindless Heat. Two things, that when paired together did wonders to one's subconscious mind. It was all based on the notion that true submission came from a person allowing their more primal instincts to take over. The primal high… That’s what Dick expected when taking the Inducer; that’s what he hoped for, and that’s what he got._

_Dick wasn’t rational enough to discern when it all happened, all he knew was that for the last three days, he’d been used, harshly and gratingly against a multitude of flat surfaces. No matter how rigid or jutted the cold surfaces were against his back, the discomfort couldn’t pull him out of the heat haze. He panted and moaned nonstop. His body was constantly on fire, clutching for dear life at the equally sweltering body rapidly humping into him._

_He was fucked with some sort of vengeance, heat and sweat dispersed between the press of their bodies. Dick was deaf to the sound of animalistic growls coming from above and didn’t even realize he was being bitten— teeth piercing his skin anywhere and everywhere until the coppery taste was forced inside his mouth as they kissed. The mind-numbing pain had Dick weeping in the aftermath, letting orgasm after orgasm ripple through his body._

_Even as time went by in a blur Dick’s guidance remained fixated on the one goal that was within reach and they both strived to possess it. To have Bruce fully knot. And when it all came down to it, somewhere within his primal high, Dick was aware enough to know that Bruce Wayne had finally... fully knotted..._

_From then on, Dick allowed himself to bask in the ruthless delights of an Alpha having lost all rationality and hoped to relish in the primal high for as long as he could._

Continuing to stare at Bruce, Dick’s heart swooned at the sight of the dormant alpha. He was defenselessly spread out across the bed, his arms open from where the omega was once nestled. Dick’s heart began to race and the depths of his mind began to tumble as a plethora of desires overcame him.

He wanted nothing more than to crawl back into the alpha's arms and stay cuddled within his warmth for hours on end. He wanted comfort in the most affectionate of ways and pleasure in the most devoted of passions. The desires of his Omega needed to be met with a loving Alpha to take care of him. Because at that moment, Dick felt it in his heart and soul that they were mates— bound by an unseen attachment that threatened to draw him in. And when it finally did, afterward they would… 

_Afterward, they would…_

The desire to have an afterward was a faraway dream that led to Dick’s beautiful thoughts being lost. Because there _was no_ afterward, not with this drug. The only ‘afterward’ he’d have was instant regret, in knowing that he’d allowed himself to sink so low once again.

Grabbing his phone and charger, Dick compelled himself to stand from the bed, almost tripping over his own legs as his hips gave out. Thankfully, there was a dresser near him as he frantically looked around for his clothes. His eyes zeroed in on the bathroom, knowing that's where he last left them. Stumbling across the room and into the bathroom, he honestly didn’t know what he expected to see. In the mirror, his body was covered in bite marks upon bruises upon scratches and anything else that wasn’t there before. 

Swiftly pulling his eyes away, Dick retrieved his clothes and began getting dressed. He ignored the stickiness of dried cum and excess slick on his legs, hiking up his pants before haphazardly giving his teeth a quick brush. Not wasting any more time cleaning up, Dick made a beeline toward the door, barely able to stop himself from wincing from the pain of having been fucked for 3 days straight.

As bad luck would have it, Dick ended up slipping on the steps, falling right on his ass with a yelp. He hissed as his hips stiffened in pain but was thankful that he hadn’t comically slid down the stairwell to make things worse. Sadly, this revelation wouldn’t help with the current predicament now that Dick's brief moment of distress had alerted his artificial mate.

“Fuck.”Dick scrambled to stand up and he had to hold onto the railing for dear life as he descended the steps. Because of their heightened connection, Dick could smell Bruce’s pheromones from a further distance. And right now, that alpha was working purely on instinct to get to his distressed artificial mate.

“Omega,” Bruce called in place of Dick’s unknown name.

Dick froze at the bottom of the steps, his heart pounding as he dared himself to turn around. At the top of the steps, he saw Bruce pulling on a pair of boxers, staring down at Dick with a look riddled in confusion.

“You’re leaving already?”

“M-my boss wants me to report back to her… in person.” Dick was always surprised at how easy it was for him to lie. But he figured that living with a pathological liar for two years of his life would do that to a person.

“I haven’t gotten the chance to thank you yet,” Bruce started down the stairs and Dick couldn’t help but step back. “To thank you for everything you’ve done.”

“It’s no problem.” Dick tried his best to smile. “I’m glad I was able to help you.”

“I don't remember much.” Bruce hit the last step, naturally shortening the distance between the two of them. Staring at his relief partner, he tried to recall what had happened, coming up with nothing but blurry visuals. “What happened while I was… out of it?”

“Nothing much...” Dick didn’t notice he was backing away until his back hit a wall. From then on, he stared up at Bruce with an unwelcome longing to reach out and touch him. And Bruce stared down at him with an intense expression but didn’t make a move to get any closer to him. _Could it be... Bruce's amazing control was actually holding off the drug's effects? That had to be it. There was no way, Bruce was just casually standing in front of him and speaking all normally. Either way, this was good. Now Dick could make his escape._

“Did I hurt you again?” Worry creased his features as he checked Dick over with the flick of his eyes.

“No, no. I’m all good.” Dick offered a bashful answer as he slid off the wall and peered over at his backpack. The same backpack that used to sit upright on the barstool was now spilled over onto the floor along with a slew of a mess that he failed to see when coming down the stairs.

Bruce too, just now noticing the mess, watched as the omega moved toward his backpack, stuffing a few of his things inside. As he stared at him, he felt an unexplainable itching feeling drawing him forward but held it off.

“Seems like we made quite a mess down here.” The omega chuckled, pulling himself up from the ground and swinging the bag over his shoulder. “Sorry to say, but we’re not a cleaning service so...”

“I’ll have someone take care of it,” Bruce reassured, glancing around at the knocked over side tables, broken glass, and askew curtains. A nagging thought struck his mind as his foggy senses began to clear up. _This mess was... They did this?_

“Well, um… Congratulations.” Bruce’s eyes refocused on the oddly frantic omega who was quickly putting on his shoes. “You’re not at risk of going U-Feral anymore.” 

Bruce had almost forgotten that this was a contract, frowning as he tried not to breathe in that delicious scent… _Did his relief partner always smell like this?_

“If you need any help transferring the extra money you offered, then just email the service provider.” The omega paced towards the door and Bruce found himself not really wanting him to go. With that, he rushed to speak,

“I owe you more than just money. Whatever you want, just name it.” Bruce urged.

“Really, I’m good.”

“May I at least know your name?” Bruce stepped closer, stopping only when the omega inched backward. 

“The-the contract states that this is supposed to remain exclusive.”

“Our time together was… amazing,” Bruce spoke ahead of himself, truly not wanting the omega to leave just yet. “You know who I am. I want to have the pleasure of knowing you as-” 

“I’m sorry, but I can’t break the contract. Even if I do know who you are, you’re... just a client, nothing more.” The admission wasn’t spoken in a harsh way by any means, but Bruce took it as if it was— like he’d been rejected.

“Listen, you may be feeling just a tad bit… drawn to me right now. It might be swaying your thoughts and that’s why you want to know more about me.” Dick lied again, watching Bruce contemplate but the omega wouldn’t let him think long enough to know that what he said was bullshit. “That’s fine though, it’s completely natural. We did spend our most vulnerable moments together, after all.” Dick began to back his way out the open door. “Okay, well, thanks for using our RRP. Oh and don’t forget to rate my service and submit a closing statement. You have a good day.” 

“Wait-” Bruce moved forward but the door had already closed in his face. Inching backward, his foot hit something hard— a small steel case glinting in silver.

\--

Dick thought as he made his way out the building: This was the _one_ moment he was grateful that Bruce had the type of control that challenged even the gods. Without that holding him back, he would’ve probably been way more forceful when it came to making Dick stay. 

Dick had to wait a little while before Garth got there. Dick all but limped his way to the car, not sparing the building behind him a last glance. Once he was in the passenger seat, he hugged his backpack to his chest and let out a harsh breath.

“You okay?” Garth said while driving away.

“Yeah. Just can’t wait to get home.” 

Dick had taken a huge risk; a selfish risk, but it worked nonetheless. Bruce had avoided going U-feral and Dick was… he was able to feel that wonderful high again. 

“I think I overheard Wally talking about getting together tonight. You coming?”

“You guys go without me.” Dick yawned, adjusting the seat so that it was leaning all the way back. “I really need to catch up on some sleep.”

“Sweet dreams.”

About thirty minutes into their drive to Metropolis, Dick’s phone vibrated and he forced his eyes open just to check it:

_*Our Rut Relief provider has submitted another request entry.*_

_Another request? Already?_ Dick clicked on the notification and watched as the app loaded onto his request page. He was in much need of some rest so he was already set on rejecting it. That was until he saw who had requested him.

“It’s Donna,” Garth said as he put his cell on speaker. “Donna, we’re almost there-”

_“Is Dick with you!?”_

“Right here, Don.” Dick reluctantly sat his seat upright.

_“Dick, what the hell did you do?”_

Dick went still, heart beating fast with fear. “I... did something?”

 _“Yes. And whatever you did, keep doing it. Bruce Wayne just rated our RRP service with a perfect_ _five stars!”_

“Five…” Dick’s mouth hung open, looking down at his phone and searched for the most recent rating. _Donna was right. His service had been given a perfect score._ The highest service rating Dick had ever gotten had been a 4.3 and even then, his ratings always stayed between the 4.0 and the 4.2 markers.

“I don’t believe I was supposed to know the identity of Dick’s client.”

 _“Quiet, Garth.”_ Donna lightly chided. _“I hope you plan on meeting up with him again, Dick.”_

“Well, I...”

_“Do you know what this means, for us? I can bid your service at a higher price now. You’ll be making a lot more money.”_

Hearing that stopped Dick from trying to reject anything.

_“This will also be so good for me. To have a high rated service omega. Do you know how rare that is? We’ll be getting a lot more patrons if you keep up the good work...”_

Drowning out Donna’s voice, Dick’s thumb hovered over the acceptance button, thoughts running a mile a minute: 

_If no one found out that he’d used an illegal Inducing drug then everything should be fine. Besides, this was a big accomplishment and he couldn’t afford to lose any more._

With that fleeting resolve set in place, Dick accepted the request and tried to soak in some of Donna’s excitement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may change the summary soon to accommodate the deeper plot of the story.


	5. Enslaved By The Primal High

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting to know Dick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Descriptions of Drug-Use/Drug Addiction

  
  


**2 Days Later**

Dressed in a T-Shirt and jeans, Dick dried off his freshly washed hair as he slowly made his way toward his bed. He rubbed his aching hip before sitting down, letting the towel hang off his shoulders before he turned on the television. Through the open door of his bedroom, he could hear Donna in the kitchen, talking to someone on the phone.

Knowing she was distracted, Dick set his sights on the dresser across the room. The smallest top drawer to the far left in particular. He stood up, closing in on the dresser’s edge, pulling open the drawer filled with junk he didn’t have anywhere else to put. It wasn’t full by any means, but it was packed enough to where it wouldn’t cause suspicion. 

Said drawer had a built-in trick compartment that made it so the back area could only be pulled out if Dick jiggled it the right way. And with a couple of jerks left and right, Dick pulled out the drawer to its entirety. Usually, the drawer was filled with steel casings, reaching the number of 20 in total but now… it was completely empty.

_He was out of Heat Inducers._

Dick chewed on his bottom lip before slamming the drawer shut. He let out a harsh sigh when he flopped back on the bed, not caring that his damp hair was wetting the pillow. He stared at the ceiling, eventually grabbing his phone and typing in the number he’d long since memorized, sending a quick text:

[Dick]: Stop calling my friends.

He stared at the message screen, patiently waiting for a text back. He knew he wouldn’t have to wait long. He never did.

[Unknown]: There you are my lovebird.

Dick stared at the text for longer than needed, his fingers indecisively hovering above the letters.

[Unknown]: I’ve been waiting for your message.

[Dick]: Don't contact my friends again.

Dick replied only for his message to go completely ignored.

[Unknown]: I was in town this weekend but you were busy. I won’t be back in Gotham for a while. In the meantime, I’ve left you a little surprise back at our apartment.

Dick could practically feel the skin on his forearms prickle with expectancy. It was enough to make him quickly stand up from the bed, abandoning the towel, in his sudden want to leave as soon as possible. With that, he sped walked out the room, somehow missing sight of Donna walking in and bumped right into her.

“Woah, Dick, slow down,” Donna said, pushing back the other omega who’d almost toppled her over.

“Sorry.”

Donna’s gaze was ponderous. “What’s the rush?” 

Dick briefly peered at the front door, quickly looking back at his friend. “It’s nothing.”

“Well let’s sit down, I wanna talk.” Donna moved towards her favorite lounge chair, bringing her laptop along.

Dick held back a sigh, forcing himself to follow Donna into the living room. “Am I in trouble?”

“Since when did I become your mother?”

“Since I moved in.” Dick plopped down on the couch.

With a small laugh, Donna waved off the idea and began with a guilt-ridden expression, “I just wanted to say that I know I pressured you into seeing Bruce again but it’s fine if you don’t want to— maybe you can take a couple of months off?”

 _That’s right._ Bruce’s rut came monthly and he’d requested to see Dick again at the beginning of next month. 

“No, I’m good.”

“You sure?”

“More than sure.” Dick made an ‘okay’ sign with his fingers. “Let’s discuss money.”

“That’s one way to change the subject.” Donna opened up her laptop. “Let’s see… I’ve been working with my accountant to see just how much I can increase your rates. And since more patrons will be coming in now, the other relief partners will be getting a raise too.”

“All my hard-earned work and somehow everyone benefits from it.” Dick lightly kidded.

“You should be glad. They already think I favor you.”

Dick nodded. “You do.”

Her eyes bared pretend annoyance. “That’s besides the point. Because of _your_ success, they’ll be more work from now on. _For everyone._ So it’s a win-lose situation.”

Dick silently agreed, knowing he’d especially be getting the bulk of the patrons since it was his service that got a perfect rating after all. But since it came with a new pay raise, he could risk having a few body aches here and there.

“Here it is,” Donna said, turning her laptop so Dick could see the screen. “I can increase your pay by 10%... and for your regulars, we can raise that by 12%.”

Dick nodded, eyes squinted as he looked at the percentages, hearing Donna continue,

“We’re looking at somewhere between $80-81,000 a year.”

Dick, who was an expert by now at calculating his earnings, quickly deduced, “That knocks three years off my debt.”

“Just about.” Donna sighed with relief. “It probably would’ve been four if it weren’t for the hospital bills.”

Dick fell back against the cushions with a tired huff.

“You’ll get through this, Dick.” Donna worriedly looked at her friend. “How much of a tip did Bruce give you?”

Dick smiled, thinking back to when he opened up his account. “Five thousand.”

Donna’s mouth hung open. “Seriously, what the hell did you do to him? Did you make him fall for you?”

Dick laughed a bit, seriously considering the thought. “That’d be funny… He is good looking though.” _His size is nice too._ “I’m just glad he doesn’t call me a whore or a prostitute.”

"Lex.” Donna deadpanned.

"Pretentious asshole." He was Dick’s worst client but he was also one of Dick’s richest clients. Both options weighed each other out and well… Dick was a money enthusiast, so Lex was there to stay.

“Tell me again why you still accept his request?”

“He gives good tips,” Dick stated as a matter of fact.

Donna snorted. "Not as good as Bruce Wayne’s."

"You’re actually right about that.” The highest tip he’d ever gotten from that asshole was two thousand. Before he met him, his tips stayed just below five hundred dollars hence why he was surprised to receive that much from someone like Lex. Ultimately, it made sense considering that the asshole had a strange obsession with him. _He was so fucking creepy._

“By the way, what did you have Garth get for you the other day?”

“... A scent strengthening perfume,” Dick said with an easy smile. “I thought it’d help calm Bruce down a bit better.”

Donna stared at Dick for a few seconds. “...Did it work?”

Dick nodded. “Wonders.”

“That’s good then.” Donna’s expression shifted, as well as her focus which was now pointed at her laptop. “I know you hate it when I talk about it but…”

Dick readied himself for what he knew was coming.

“I honestly thought you had Garth bring you a... Heat Inducer.” Donna awkwardly laughed, glancing at Dick to see him physically retreating. His mouth pressed into a hard line, expression going completely blank. And he was standing up now, his sights aimed at the front door.

“...I don’t do that anymore.”

“Yeah I know, I just get worried sometimes…” Donna attempted to lighten the situation by keeping a smile on her face. “All in all, I’m glad you went to rehab and got better.” Slowly, she followed her omegan instincts to stand up and pull a seemingly distressed Dick into a hug. “I just don’t want to ever see you go through that shit again.”

Dick didn’t move to hug her back. He stayed still, staring past her shoulder. “Yeah…”

Donna moved back, seeing that Dick’s face was still as uninviting as it had been since she brought up the topic. She knew Dick hated when she broached the subject of his past addiction; in fact, he hated it to the point of getting angry every time someone mentioned it. After years of knowing Dick like the back of her hand, Donna could honestly say that it wasn’t a normal type of anger either.

She still remembered it, the day she brought home a friend who’d recovered from her Inducer addiction when Dick was still in the depths of his own. Dick became livid and blind with rage, thinking that Donna had been looking down on him; belittling him. He blamed Donna for everything, he cursed her out of her name and broke anything within reach as if he were used to it. All she knew was that Dick never had anger issues until he mated with that fucking bastard.

Dick left before Donna could convince him to stay and turned off his phone, riddling their friend group from seeing him for a total of 6 months. And when he came back— 3 days after his 21st birthday— he gladly presented Donna with a certificate of completion for his addiction recovery. 

Donna looked past Dick’s shoulder where that certificate— Dick so happily got laminated and framed — was suspended in the wall. Just like that, he hung it up without so much as an apology to Donna for all that he said. He also made her and their friends promise to never speak of the past again. 

Donna was a forgiving person especially when it came to Dick because she knew of his circumstances but she wasn't ill-advised to not bring up his past. It was strange how Dick left and came back as if nothing happened. None of it made any sense. 

Donna couldn't say for sure but somewhere deep within, she didn’t believe him. It’s because the Dick she once knew was always open to talking about anything with her. Since he came back, the only thing they talked about was money and work. 

“I’m heading out,” Dick announced tonelessly, practically pushing Donna off.

“Yeah?” She backed away, watching Dick move towards the door. “What’s up? Where are you going?”

“I’m meeting up with Wally. He wants me to help him find a venue for his graduation party.”

“That’s... like 4 months from now.”

Dick gave a half shrug. “You know Wall, he likes to get things done early.” 

“I guess that’s the ‘new’ Wally. The ‘old’ Wally was a procrastinator.”

“Yeah, he was.” Dick barely laughed as he snagged his car keys from the entryway table. “I’ll make sure and let him know that you’re proud of his ‘new self.’”

“You do that…” Donna hesitated before asking, “How long are you going to be gone?”

“I haven’t seen him in a while, so I’ll probably stay at his place for a couple of days…” Dick listlessly stared down at his keys waiting for Donna to believe him.

She gave an uneasy smile. “...Alright, well see ya later.”

“Bye, Don.” He left in a hurry, his smile slipping as soon as the door closed behind him. 

_Dick was a pathological liar._

He was. _He truly was._ He’d long since admitted it to himself while he was in the throes of an Induced heat, wasting his days away with his mate. 

Besides being a liar, Dick was also a bad friend. To Garth, in particular. 

He’d met the Beta Atlantean about two years ago. He came along with a few other Atlanteans that had been given a chance to study at a college on the surface. That’s where he met Wally, who then introduced Garth to the rest of the group. This all happened Dick had gone to rehab. And when he came back, he made sure no one told Garth of his mishaps. 

Garth knew what a Heat Inducer was… the one that was used for medical treatments, that is. The modified ones sold around the black market wasn’t a popular topic discussed out in the open; therefore, Garth had no reason to know about them. Dick made it simple for himself by telling the Atlantean that the Heat Inducer he’d been taking had been prescribed to him by a doctor. This way, only Donna, Roy, and Wally knew he’d been using drugs in the past. 

It was the silliest lie Dick had ever told anyone and it surprised him that Garth actually believed it. It’s not like Garth was naive but when it came to things like this, he didn’t think too much about it. He was too focused on trying to fit in and it’s not like he was on the surface a lot, to begin with. So, it worked out for Dick in the end.

Dick felt guilty sometimes, but not as much as he should. That’s why he was able to drive down the highway with a listless indifference to his faults. No matter how much he ridiculed himself, he hadn’t done anything to change it. He hadn’t put in the energy to. He convinced himself that he wasn’t hurting anyone besides himself. _He_ was the one that was still using the Heat Inducer, not anyone else. _As long as he kept everything hidden then what did it matter?_

After a long while, Dick took the exit he always did when entering Gotham City and started down the road that led to his old apartment. 

It was a cheap and shoddy apartment, situated in one of the poorest parts of Gotham. Given that his mate wanted to keep a low profile, this was where he’d chosen to live when they first became a pair. Even after Dick moved in with him, the apartment was mostly used as a place to eat, sleep, and have sex. _Lots of sex._ Apart from that, nothing of great significance happened here. If he wasn’t counting the arguments— which incited things being thrown across the room and broken furniture— then no, nothing worth remembering happened here.

Nevertheless, Dick found himself hastily running up the stairwell, making sure to not touch the wood-decaying railings as he did. He stopped on the third floor, digging out his apartment key and impatiently making his way to the end of the open corridor.

306, the outdated plaque beside the door read, inciting Dick to unlock the door as quickly as he could. Upon pushing it open, he was greeted with the familiar sight of shattered glass, damaged furniture, and battered wall plaster that he’d yet to cover up. There was no point in doing so when it’d just end up in the same condition again. 

Dick hummed a soft tune, idly twirling the key ring around his finger before dropping it on a three-legged side table. His accustomed footing sidestepped the fallen wall frame in the middle of the hallway leading up to the bedroom. The closer he got, the more his forearms tingled and when he finally held the door handle, he wasted no time pushing the door open.

Dick visibly relaxed when he saw a gift box sitting in the middle of the bed. It was covered in orange and silver wrapping paper, soon being ripped open by an eager omega. Sitting down, Dick pulled off the top, eyes roaming over what he’d hoped to see. 

8 Heat Inducer casings shimmered in the low light of the bedroom.

Lifting one of the casings out of the box a note slipped out along with it. As customary, Dick read it:

_Don’t use them all in one go. I’ll be back in 4 months._

He all but balled up the paper and threw it somewhere out of sight. He did a quick calculation of the current quantities just to make sure he had enough Inducers to last him four months.

_It was enough._

The realization left Dick with a warm smile. He didn’t even want to think about all the times his mate left him one Inducer short. _He could go up to two weeks without taking an Inducer. One day more than that and he’d break out in chills…_

Feeling elated from his charitable alpha, he eventually noticed his mate’s scent lingered on every surface of the room. Dick all but longingly fell on his back, moving until his face was stuffed into one of the pillows. It was obvious his mate had scent marked the entire area, especially the bed. At the realization, Dick ended up whining, spurred on by his very nature as an Omega— wanting and needing to be wrapped in his alpha’s smell. 

Heat Inducers: There was a blatant difference when using it with someone who wasn’t your mate versus someone who was. Dick could attest to becoming devoted to that feeling after spending 2 weeks indulging in that sensation. Yes, 2 weeks. Barely any food or water. Being malnourished didn’t matter when you and your mate were both in the Primal high. When the melding of your flesh had you somehow feeling like you’d become one being, how could you ever be apart? If ascending to Heaven while orgasming was possible then Dick had been there over a thousand times.

At the thought, Dick began to pant heavily in preparation for what was to come after he blindly retrieved a syringe from the steel casing.

Though it was preferable that Heat Inducers be taken with a partner, taking it without one was good too. Using various dildos was the best alternative and Dick had plenty of them. Every time he came here, he made use of them thoroughly. It was the only time Dick was able to recognize how generous his alpha had been to him- giving him such a wonderful gift. Without him, Dick would have never discovered what it was like to experience such pleasure. And for that simple reason, Dick was extremely thankful to have met him. 

Dick speedily rolled up his sleeve and shifted at just the right angle to watch the needle make contact with his arm. There was no hesitation when he punctured his skin— it flushed red and before long, his mind went fuzzy with an irreproachable merriment that only a slave to pleasure could encounter.

They said, being addicted screwed with a person’s ability to gauge their own limits. But Dick wasn’t addicted, he knew his limits. Ever since his mate started leaving him for months on end, he’d been doing so much better. He’d stop going to the sex clubs; he’d stop taking the Inducer every other day. Except for today. But that was okay. He’d never take an Inducer within the same week ever again. _Promise._ Because he could practically see it- the vivid pictures of his future self, coming out of this entire situation safe and sound. 

_Just a little more, and he’d make it._

_He knew he would._

.

.

.

By the time the drug wore off, three days had passed and he was left feeling empty. It was especially noticeable without a mate next to his side. Without that warm feeling, nothing was left of him, except regret. What was once a roar of confidence had now turned into a whisper; soft, and mellow, reminding him in a promise that this was the last time… _he swore,_ this was the last time… never again…

With that, Dick curled up into a ball and cried himself to sleep.   
  
  


~*~

**Month 1**

Seeing Bruce again was almost like seeing him for the first time. He still housed that ridiculous amount of control, sheltered that stern look of his, and didn’t talk as much. What’s worse is that he _still_ wasn’t able to hold a full knot. Dick blamed his 14-year deficiency.

This time Bruce wasn’t at risk of going U-Feral; moreover, the alpha just wasn’t used to having a rut at all. It was simply because he wanted to stay in control at all times. Already knowing that having that kind of control was physically unhealthy, Dick was certain that it couldn't have been mentally healthy either. 

Bruce having convinced himself to remain in control at any given moment surely must’ve affected his personality and worldviews. He must’ve hated other Alpha’s who couldn’t manage their instincts. With this, Dick also couldn’t help but wonder as to how he raised his children. _Could they be subject to such harsh ‘control training’ as well?_

Dick would never deny that in some ways, control was needed. But in this militia-fashion that Bruce Wayne presented, not so much. On the other hand, Dick was a bit grateful for Bruce’s troublesome circumstance. The fact that he was having problems fully knotting once again meant that Dick had to help him out in the only way he knew he could…

Dick has never used a Heat Inducer with a client twice.

Granted, he never accepted any request from those clients a second time anyhow but still, he promised himself he wouldn’t do it. He swore on everything he wouldn’t risk getting caught using an Inducer on the job. Especially since Bruce had almost caught him the last time he did. Fortunately, he didn’t.

Bruce had wonderful control and Dick, in some way or another, was taking advantage of that fact. He had long since convinced himself that Bruce wouldn’t find out. There was no way he would. And this time Dick would make sure to leave as discreetly as he could. That’s why he waited until Bruce had fallen asleep to re-enact what he’d done a month prior. 

It never hurt when he struck a needle through his arm. It was the exact opposite. Daresay he call it relief, for he was finally going to immerse himself in the high again. It was that primal high; that state of incoherency that made Dick feel alive.

It wasn’t as if Dick was senseless enough to not know what was happening to his body, it was just that he was too focused on his own heat to notice anything other than the oncoming pleasure. Dick was already drooling and craving for more by the time Bruce entered him the first time. Buried within him, balls deep, successfully stuffing the omega full of all that he truly desired. 

He felt his body relax on the lounge chair, his arms and legs wrapped tightly around Bruce’s massive frame all before the relentless pounding started. From then on, he handed over the last of his sanity to the alpha snarling above him, soon finding a sense of belonging in his rough caresses. Dick found that he never wanted to leave Bruce’s arms. This was where he belonged- in the warm embrace of his mate.

 _That’s right,_ Bruce was his mate. That’s what his soul, mind, and body were telling him. Even if his mating bite was telling him otherwise, it sounded right; therefore, he believed it to be true. The proof was in the present moment. _The one giving him such immense pleasure could only be his mate._

Bruce’s form hovered over him, taking anything and everything he wanted from the omega below him. The alpha was mentally and physically scarring him to the brink of stupidity. It was as if Bruce’s body had been made to fuck him. Only a mate could make Dick feel this way which is why he acknowledged Bruce as so.

Dick’s back arched off the surface, his nails breaking the skin of Bruce’s back as his shoulder was bitten into. And when it happened again, his hand racked down the alpha’s hulking back, crying out with trembling legs as he ejaculated onto his sweaty stomach.

“More-! More… please…” He begged right after, swiftly receiving what he’d asked for, this time groaning through his clenched teeth as the pain pricked across his shoulder blades. In the back of Dick’s mind, being bitten in such a way was like overwriting his previous mistake. Being devoured by what he wished was his true marking; instead, he was stuck with regret. 

He wouldn’t regret it if it happened with Bruce. Bruce’s entire being just felt right. Because Bruce was his mate… _his mate..._

Like a horny dog, a scorching tongue lapped at the grooves on Dick’s shoulder. After a while, the alpha latched onto his nipples, biting and sucking, like something was going to come out. Making sure he was everywhere Dick was, consuming and absorbing him whole. Wildly thrusting in, having abandoned any type of finesse or skill and replacing it with stuttering hips. Dick felt whole with calm certainty and wracking excitement as Bruce’s entire being meshed with his to perfectly fill the void. 

It was abrupt when Dick’s back hit the floor as if he’d been thrown down— more like bucked off. He barely had time to sit up before a cock was shoved into him and he all but went slack against the ground in satisfaction. Dick pressed a foot into the alpha’s back, trying to get more friction. The rut was once again reckless and wild, with no amount of awareness. 

A guttural growl rumbled from the alpha’s chest then, as he continued to use Dick’s body to reach his own end. Every thrust pushed and pulled gushes a slick everywhere within reach and without, for Dick was being moved around every which way. He held on regardless, with hiccuping sobs, not paying attention to the sound of falling items and breaking glass. He was completely debauched and as mindless as the alpha was above him. 

And soon a punishing swell was locking them together causing Dick to ejaculate until his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

Breathing hoarsely, Dick stared at the ceiling above, feeling the cock inside of him spurt with a copious amount of cum. Bruce was also breathing heavily, keeping his head comfortably fit in the crook of Dick’s neck. Nothing was said during the entire time Bruce’s knot was inflated within him. All that mattered was that they were together, yearningly anticipating the next round. It was just like the last time, quiet and peaceful, that’s why Dick hadn’t expected Bruce to consciously speak this time around.

“Become mine.”

The soft words spoken into Dick’s ear were primal and possessive. The embrace around him was tighter too, pulling Dick until they were on their sides, facing one another. Dick shivered, awkwardly moving one leg to hook around Bruce’s own, so his knot sat comfortably inside.

This way, Dick was looking into his eyes, finding that Bruce wasn’t all the way there. With his pupils dilated, staring at the omega like he was some kind of angel, Dick supposed he was speaking purely off of the drug’s influence.

“I already am,” Dick replied for he was also basking in the moment of pure bliss. He knew he didn’t mean it but at that moment he felt as if he did. For that reason, he brought a hand to the alpha’s cheek, moving his face close so their lips touched.

Dick Grayson didn’t kiss clients… not willingly.

Being under the drug's influence was a different matter and that’s why it was so easy for him to do so. To kiss Bruce Wayne, his mate, and enjoy it until the moment they started fucking again. They were looking into each other’s eyes this time, Dick keeping his leg locked around the alpha’s torso as his mouth hung open, voicing gasp after gasp. The emotions of affection and desire flowed between them, building upon their forever growing need to be together… to be one.

Dick wished this was real…

If only being mated with someone felt this good all the time. Then maybe… _he wouldn’t need the drug._  
  


**~*~**

**Month 3**

The next 2 months, meeting with Bruce was much more of the same thing. Dick used the Heat Inducer and effortlessly escaped without having to confront Bruce the morning afterward. If this week went the same as the last, then their time together would go over smoothly. Unfortunately, things weren’t as easy as they had been months prior.

Bruce was… acting differently.

Different, as in his attitude towards Dick was questionably peculiar. Before, where he tried to keep as much distance between the two of them as he could, he now stayed within arm’s length of Dick at every waking moment. Like now, when Dick was simply washing the dishes, Bruce leaned back against the counter, watching him. And that’s another thing. 

Bruce stared… constantly stared at him. Whenever Dick found a moment to look away from his various tasks, he found the alpha gazing at him. And without so much as a reaction at getting caught by Dick, Bruce would casually look away. Just to prove to himself that he wasn’t hallucinating, Dick chanced a look over at the alpha, finding a deep set of blue eyes boring into him.

“Is there something on my face?”

Like all the other times, Dick expected Bruce to look away. For whatever reason, that didn’t happen this time. “No, nothing.”

Dick gave a timid smile, facing the sink. “You’re staring.” he pointed out for the first time in two days. He had to. He didn’t know if he could take five more days of this. 

“Am I not allowed to stare?”

“I mean…” Dick began to rinse a glass cup. “You can if you want. It’s not like you’re the first.”

“Tell me about the others.”

A bit startled by Bruce’s forwardness and sudden curiosity, had him turning away from the sink just to look the alpha in the eye. _There it was again,_ that slight frown as if Dick’s previous comment had offended him somehow. 

“There’s not much to tell.” Dick quickly said wanting to rectify the foreign cause of that frown. “They’re not as controlled as you are so we don’t get to talk as much as I do with you.”

Bruce simply hummed, expression softening. He looked back at the TV as though what Dick said answered all of his questions. 

Having nothing else to add, Dick started on the dishes once more. He didn’t understand how to take Bruce’s sudden interest in his job- or _Bruce’s sudden interest in him altogether._ Not that he minded talking to the alpha (he didn’t mind him staring either) but it was still strange. So strange, that Dick would somehow miscalculate how much Bruce’s interest in him would begin to grow in their time apart. 

~*~

**Month 4**

Dick breathed softly, staring down at Bruce as he was rocked into at a steady pace. 

Right now, Dick wasn’t using the Heat Inducer to keep himself hypnotized with pleasure. Nor was Bruce in the throws of his rut, working off his instinct to find release. He was in a down period- one that left his heightened scent and instincts mellowed out for a short period of time. That way alphas were able to get some rest during their ruts.

Except Bruce wasn’t resting. He was still inside of Dick after his half-knot had deflated, thrusting in with an unhurried gentleness. And Dick allowed him to continue.

Dick held a hand up to his mouth, making a soft noise when he felt Bruce’s thumb worrying at the tip of his cock. He looked off to the side, away from the alpha’s passionate stare but continued to openly rock into Bruce’s hand. Dick was uncomfortable and shy for some reason. He was never shy. If he was, then there was no way he’d be doing this job. But for some reason, with Bruce, he was.

Bruce was being gentle and more hands-on than last time— now taking initiative when they had sex. He let Dick do his usual ‘taming’ business— massaging and all, but it never quite fully sunk in. He seemed to always want to hold Dick close, not really trying hard to lose control. It’s like he wanted to stay sane just so he could fuck Dick in a diligent… loving manner. Bruce liked to be face to face when he was being attentive to his needs too. His hands would roam with the purpose of memorizing every groove of Dick’s body and making him feel good.

Dick’s never had sex like this before, not outside of an HRP. His mate, especially, had never treated him like this. It was always hard and rough. With him, there was never any other emotion besides pure lust leading them along. With Bruce, it was very strange and Dick was timid, trying to figure out how to act without the influence of the Heat Inducer. Because right now, Bruce wasn’t his artificial mate, he was just his client, and yet...

“Mmn-!” Dick gripped Bruce’s shoulders with both hands once he began to pick up the pace. “I think- I think you should be resting so later on, you c-can fully knot.” He ended with a soft moan, throwing his head back as his prostate was hit at the right juncture.

“You always find a way for me to do so,” Bruce spoke huskily against Dick’s nape, placing a kiss there. “It’s somehow always in the last days of my rut.” 

“Mm…” Dick hummed when Bruce began sucking marks onto his throat. 

“I hate that I can never remember,” Bruce admitted.

“It-it’s fine as long as you’re healthy.” Dick panted, feeling Bruce’s hand splay on the small of his back, balancing the omega as he went deeper.

Bruce chuckled. “Is that all you can think about?”

Dick brought his head forward, looking down at Bruce once more. “What else is there to think about?”

Bruce didn’t take long to consider his answer, his intense stare finding Dick’s own. “Since last time... it feels different.”

“... Different?”

“Whenever we’re apart,” Bruce’s movements stopped, leaving Dick a bit frustrated but that all disappeared once the alpha finished his statement. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Dick was left speechless, uncertainty shown in his eyes. “...Bruce, that’s...” 

“Am I the only one that feels this way?”

“Bruce…” Dick pressed his hands into Bruce’s chest, not really pushing away, but not letting him come any closer either. “It’s just your rut talking.”

“It’s different from that. It’s here.” Bruce brought Dick’s hand to his chest, right above his heart. “This strange... pull I feel when I'm with you.”

Dick let out an uneven breath, his cheeks flushing at the bold admittance. 

_Not good. This wasn’t good at all._

The drug Dick was using, at times, even after the effects wore off, a... ghost feeling remained. A sort of, ‘what could’ve been’ type of longing for a 'Mate' that didn’t exist. It happened, notably to those that weren't used to using the drug. It didn’t happen with everyone and Dick figured since Bruce had amazing control it wouldn't happen but now...

“You can’t tell me you don’t feel it too?” Bruce spoke, his desperation was evident. 

Just hearing those words betrayed Dick’s facade. He’d been caught in a web and the only one that could pull him out was the very alpha that was reading him like an open book: A love-struck alpha who’d deemed Dick worthy as a perfect mate. And it was all because of the drug.

Dick knew of this feeling himself. This was the same feeling that trapped him in the very hands of a criminal who became his mate. He too had let the drug get to him- thinking that his current mate was perfect for him. And now, for his own selfish reasons, he’d trapped Bruce in the exact same way.

Dick looked down and stayed quiet, not willing to tell him the truth. There was nothing he could do about it right now, not until they separated. If they stayed apart for a while, then Bruce would be able to rationalize his thoughts again. So… this would be the last time he’d take Bruce as a client. Dick would never let the disappointment from not seeing Bruce again, surface.

“You don’t have to admit it now,” Bruce said softly, gripping the omega’s chin and forcing him to look up. “I’m willing to wait...”

“I… I don’t- Mm.” Their lips sealed in a forceful fashion upon Bruce’s neediness. But before Dick could get swept in, he pulled back, hands trembling on Bruce’s shoulders, both indecisively grasping and letting go.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t… I don’t kiss clients.” It wasn’t like Dick to give in so easily. But his leisure was borne out of plain guilt. _What the hell was he doing?_ To have continuously used the drug and to make Bruce feel this way. _Was he an idiot?_

“I won't kiss you if you _really_ don’t want me to…”

Dick bit his lip, thoughts conflicting. 

“But I think you like this more than you’re letting on.” Bruce insisted, their lips touching again, with less reluctance than before but the omega still had enough motive to speak,

“So arrogant.” Dick half-heartedly chastised, finding that he didn’t care anymore. He felt so guilty. That’s why he didn’t stop the alpha from pulling him into a deeper kiss. And in turn, Dick kissed his client back. Willingly.  
  


~*~

“Dick, are you ready to go!?”

Dick unknowingly ignored Donna’s call and stared at his cellphone, particularly at the message he hesitated to respond to.

[Bruce]: How does next weekend sound?

 _What the hell was he doing?_

He actually agreed to meet with Bruce outside of work!? He willingly gave the handsome alpha his number. It was against Dick’s own rules to hand out his number to a client but he couldn’t resist. Dick could admit to feeling exceedingly guilty about what he’d done and argued that’s why he gave Bruce his number. But Dick could also admit to liking the feeling of being his artificial mate. Both options influenced his baseless decision but that didn’t make the situation any better.

“Dick, did you hear me?” Donna walked into the bathroom. “What are you doing?”

Dick locked his phone, looking up. “Sorry, I was distracted.” 

“Well hurry up, and wear the black one,” Donna suggested, motioning to the pair of hoop studded earrings laid out on the bathroom sink.

“Got it.” Dick switched out his silver one with the black before following Donna out the door. He waited until they were in the car before texting Bruce back. 

[Dick]: That’s perfect.

Sighing deeply, Dick slipped his phone into his pocket. He promised himself that he wouldn’t do this again. He swore he wouldn’t meet with another client outside of work. But in spite of that warning, he went and gave Bruce his name and number anyway. Dick hit the back of his head on the car seat’s headrest, groaning internally. 

_This was not going to go well._

.

.

.

“I couldn't have graduated without my best friend's encouragement. Thanks, Dick.” 

Dick clapped in a mocking manner, watching Wally down another shot and stumbled over his footing as he tried to balance himself. Wally couldn’t drink for shit. All it took was 5 shots for him to start slurring his words.

“Correction.” Donna held up a finger. “He’s _my_ best friend.”

“I love you all the same.” Dick swiftly countered, knowing this topic could go on for hours on end if Wally was able to get a comment in. Of course, Roy couldn’t help but reignite the fire.

“Let's get this straight,” Roy said, unashamedly pouring Wally another shot. “If anyone’s Dick’s best friend, then it’s definitely the person who’s known him the longest.”

“I win!” Donna cheered, pulling Dick into a side hug as if to claim her prize.

“That’s not fair,” Wally complained, glaring down at them. “If I’d known you were in a foster home, I would’ve come and adopted you myself.”

“So you’d leave me there?” A baffled Donna gawked. 

“I’d come to get you after Dick makes me his number one.” Wally plopped down right next to Garth. “I think Dick here would agree.”

“Man, you’re drunk.” Dick shook his head and laughed.

“Drink some water.” Garth berated.

“Good idea. Why don’t you make some for me with those gills of yours.”

The Atlantean didn’t hesitate when pushing Wally off the booth.

Wally hissed, rubbing his aching side, “Is this what you guys do to the man of the hour?”

“You know that was well deserved, Wally.” Donna chastised while giving Garth a high-five.

“Jaybird’s at the front.” Roy suddenly announced, sliding out of the booth. “I’ll go get him.” They all watched Roy go with piqued curiosity. 

“We finally get to meet this ‘Jaybird’ person.” Donna air quoted before pouring herself another glass. “Should be interesting. I don’t think Roy’s ever talked this much about one person before.”

Dick shrugged. “Swear he’s mentioned him a few years before- remember that?”

“Yeah, like two years ago. I wonder what’s taken him so long to introduce us?”

“Maybe his friend is shy,” Garth claimed, scooting over a bit when Wally finally picked himself up from the ground.

“Who knows,” Donna replied. “Roy has always been one to keep secrets.”

“You guys talking behind my back?”

They all looked over, finding a familiar looking face, if not a more mature version, standing next to Roy.

Donna was the first to huff a laugh at the sight before her. “You could’ve just told us he was Bruce Wayne’s son.”

“Then it would’ve been too easy for you guys to guess.” Roy let Jason in the booth first, that way he was sitting right next to Dick.

“Well,” Donna leaned her elbows on the table, staring at the alpha with interest. “Now we can know why you call him that?”

Roy chuckled, throwing an arm across the back of the booth. “It’s an inside joke between me and him.”

“Here,” Wally slid over a few shots, Jason’s way. “Drink’s are on me.”

Donna frowned. “Isn’t he still underage? You’re, twenty or something, right?”

“Ah, it’s okay Donna. I’m the chaperone/designated driver. He’ll be fine.” Roy snagged the shot glass before Donna could take it away, giving it to Jason. 

“So,” Dick started, watching Jason look down at the shot glass with discontent. “You’re the guy that’s been mooching off of Roy.”

Wally snorted into his drink.

Jason seemed to pause, offering Dick a glance before mustering up the courage to down the shot in one go. Roy rejoiced by clapping him on the back.

“I pay half the rent,” Jason finally stated.

“With Daddy’s money?” Donna mused.

“No,” Jason’s eye seemed to twitch. “I have a job.”

“Let’s leave him alone guys,” Roy said.

“We’re just joking around with you.” Dick laughed, finding the alpha’s expression quite amusing. “Don’t be so uptight, man. Relax a little.”

“Bruce Wayne, you say,” Garth spoke up, glimpsing at Dick. “Isn’t that-”

“Garth.” Dick stopped him, seeing the Atlantean come to realize his mistake. He didn’t care if anyone found out that he worked at an RRP. It’d just be weird for Jason to know that Dick had serviced his dad at one.

“It’s cool,” Jason shrugged, staring pointedly at Dick in particular. “Whatever you have to say about my old man, just say it.”

“You guys not getting along?” Donna wondered.

“We don’t see eye to eye. That's still my old man though, so don’t be too hard on him.”

“Wait, is he the roommate who had a control freak for a Dad, or was that your other roommate?” Donna asked, causing Jason to crack a smile, laughing softly.

 _“Insane’s_ more like it.”

“No seriously,” Roy straightened up. “Jay presented when he was sixteen, but it wasn’t until he moved in with me that he got off of Rut Reducers.”

“That is insane,” Wally said.

_So Dick’s prediction was right, Bruce makes sure his children are controlled instinctively too._

“Isn’t one of your brother's an Omega?” Donna questioned. “How does your dad deal with him?”

“Won’t let him go anywhere without a collar or suppressants. Goes to an all Omega school. Can’t meet with Alpha’s unattended.” Jason easily explained. “It was the same for me growing up.”

Donna shook her head. “Control freak, much?”

“I think it’s okay,” Dick mumbled into his cup while Donna gave him a knowing look.

“This is news to me.” Donna blatantly stared at Dick. “If you’ve gone so long without a rut then who knows how long Bruce has.”

“Can’t be that long,” Dick said, hoping it would deter Donna’s curiosity. Thankfully it did after she supplied Dick with a simple nod and visible relief.

“I wouldn't know. He’s never mentioned it before.”

“Well besides Dick,” Wally said. “We all think you Dad’s an insane control freak.”

“Fine by me.” Jason chuckled, feeling comfortable enough to relax against the booth. 

As the little get together went on, Dick got the impression that Jason was a charming kid. While Garth stepped out to answer a call; Donna, Roy, and Wally went to dance, Dick stayed at the table indulging Jason with random topics. Eventually, though, Dick left the alpha to his own devices as he wandered off to another part of the club.

Jason sat back with a can of soda, watching Dick from afar. He could see him talking with someone in the corner of the room. It wasn’t a subtle exchange at all, considering Jason could clearly see the man slip something into Dick’s hand. The omega then made his way back to the table as if nothing just conspired.

“They’re _still_ dancing?” Dick commented as he slid back into the booth.

“Looks like it.” Jason set his soda aside, glancing at Dick. “You dealing?”

Dick blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I asked if you were dealing… drugs?”

Dick gave an incredulous laugh. “Not a chance.”

“As if anyone didn’t see you standing in the corner of that room with a guy who can’t seem to hide his supply for shit. I saw his jacket stuffed full as soon as I walked in.”

“You’re asking me if I'm dealing while you’re a minor drinking shot after shot?”

“Everybodys a hypocrite. That doesn’t mean I’d ever get into drugs though.” Jason’s eyes seemed to study the omega, speaking as though he knew Dick personally. “Especially... Inducers.”

Dick’s jaw clenched, his teeth grinding as guilt and regret overtook him.

Jason smirked. “I heard they’re more addicting than Heroin.”

Dick’s brows furrowed into a scowl before holding up a blunt he’d just snuck out of his pocket. “Herb, grass, cannabis, whatever you want to call it. Not... an Inducer.” Dick cocked his head, speaking without sanction as soon as Roy wandered back to their table. "Maybe you should get your eyes checked.”

“Woah, Dick.” Roy sat down, glancing between the two. “What’s going on? What happened?”

“Sorry,” Dick averted his eyes before sliding out of the booth. “I need some air.” 

“Dick!” Roy called after him but the omega had already disappeared into the crowd. “What the hell did you say to him?”

“Something about Inducers.” 

Roy sighed harshly, letting his head hang low for a few seconds before finding his resolve. “Rule number one about our little group. Don’t _ever_ bring up Inducers with Dick around. He’s a little touchy about that topic.”

Jason scoffed a laugh. “A little?”

“He’s had some... problems in the past.” That was all Roy was willing to say. “It’s still a sore spot for him.”

Jason lifted a brow. “You guys let him treat you like that because of a sore spot?”

“Dick’s a great guy, Jay,” Roy claimed. “I can’t fault him for being sensitive about that stuff, so if you’re going to be hanging out with us, my advice is to not talk about it.”

“Heh... I guess I have no choice then.” 

“I’m going to try and find him,” Roy said, giving Jason a friendly pat on the back before leaving the alpha alone. This prompted Jason to pull out his phone and navigate a specific text he’d received from Tim over a week ago.

[Timmy]: I’ve finished compiling all the information. 

[Timmy]: Bruce is already on the move but lmk if you’re in.

And attached was a PDF file, to which Jason opened.

> ** Suspect **
> 
> Name: Richard John Grayson
> 
> Age: 23
> 
> Has a Highschool Degree
> 
> No College Degree
> 
> Admitted to the Gotham City Abbott Foster home at the age of 8
> 
> Released as soon as he was of age
> 
> Worked at 2 restaurants over the course of 6 months before switching to an RRP
> 
> ** Modified Heat Inducer  **
> 
> Barcode: Version 62152 (Similar to others confiscated from various crime scenes)
> 
> Evidenced-based Thesis: Connected to the same dealer who makes/sells U-Feral Stimulants
> 
> Mission: Get close to the suspect and find out the drug’s origins.

[Jason]: I’m in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this took a while to post, school is killing me😞
> 
> Comments appreciated😊😊


	6. Date Night with the Suspect

“You lied to me.” Jason practically snarled in annoyance as he watched Tim hold a bag of chips over his head and consume the last of it. Behind him on the Bat computer sat a paused video game and Jason knew Tim would get scolded if Bruce ever found out.

“Well,” Tim said, sluggishly chewing while giving Jason an impassive look. “I honestly didn’t expect you to agree.”

“You-” Jason cut himself short, attempting to keep his anger in check while Tim casually balled up the bag and threw it into a trashcan across the room. “I didn’t give a rat’s ass at first but then I met the damn guy and got interested.” 

Tim abruptly sat up in his seat. “You met him!?”

“He’s one of Roy’s friends.” 

Jason had scarcely read through the text Tim had given him _way_ before he met up with Roy that night. He’d seldom recognized that name ‘Richard Grayson’—the last name Grayson in particular—seeing as Roy had mentioned him many times before. With that information, Jason went to check it out, finding that the same picture Tim had sent along with the suspect file was, indeed, Roy’s friend and that he went by ‘Dick’ instead.

“This is good then.” Tim ran a sleeve across his mouth, wiping away the crumbs. “You can spy on him for me.”

“No, not until you tell me why you lied about Bruce being in on the plan?”

“Actually…” Tim sighed, his demeanor draining to the point where he kicked his feet up on the table and sighed a second time. “Bruce doesn’t know about this at all.”

Jason’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

Tim shrugged turning around in his chair and started back on his gaming. “It’s like I said...”

A day after Bruce came home from the RRP, Tim told the alpha he was staying after school to “study.” In reality, and like he usually did when he “stayed after school,” he went to Bruce’s penthouse downtown. There, and with the copy of his key, he met up with Conner to do their usual gaming and eating snacks gig. Their plans came to a halt that day only because the penthouse was a mess, signifying that the cleaning service hadn’t come by yet. 

And Tim didn’t want to think about how the clutter in the living room had even gotten there in the first place. But in his trek to clean up just enough to have sitting space, he happened across a familiar steel case that had been surprisingly thrown into the trash can.

“I dug it out and left it in the forensics lab in our ‘examine later’ pile,” Tim explained, simultaneously using the mouse and the keyboard to control his game character. “When I came back months later, it was still there... untouched.”

“Did he even see it?”

“I’m not sure but I don’t think so since it hadn’t been moved. And you have to bear in mind that it _was_ in the trash can, meaning that Bruce was the one who put it there.” 

At a loss for words, Jason exhaled, taking a seat a little ways away from Tim’s own.

“That’s why I took it upon myself to look into it and lo and behold, I found out that the fingerprints matched with none other than Bruce’s relief partner.”

“Why the hell would he throw it away?” Jason had a hard time comprehending. “That’s not something he’d do.”

Tim shrugged again. “I don’t know. To be completely honest though, Bruce has been... acting… distrait lately.”

“Distrait?”

“Yup, as in distracted, preoccupied, absent-minded-”

“I don’t have all day to listen to your inner thesaurus, Tim,” Jason grumbled.

“In a bad way, kind of distracted.” Tim stayed completely vague and Jason knew he was doing it on purpose.

“I’m leaving.”

“Okay, okay, wait. Hear me out.” Tim spoke around his dying game character and sighed at the loss. He then forced himself to give Jason his undivided attention. “I’m being literal here when I say that Bruce’s focus hasn’t been completely there. His attention is always elsewhere. When we’re out on patrol and at dinner, he seems so…” Tim wound a finger around his ear. “...loopy. He kind of drones us out even if the topic is important.”

“That’s not like the old man.” Especially to be distracted during patrol. _What the hell was up with that?_ “When did he become like this?”

“Um, I guess about 3 months ago.” Tim revived his character and started playing again, humming a soft tune as he did.

Jason squinted in a furtive manner, staring at the omega. “What aren’t you telling me, Tim?”

Tim frowned “What? Nothing?”

“You hum when you lie.”

“Do not!”

They went back and forth a few more times, Jason failing to make Tim tell him what the hell he was hiding. They didn’t notice that Damian had entered the room a while ago, easily picking up on the situation at hand.

“Father’s been disappearing for a week at the beginning of every month,” Damian stated before receiving an unwelcome greeting from Tim.

“I don’t need you interrupting me.” Tim hissed.

“Stop beating around the bush, Drake, and get to the point.”

“The hell? He’s still seeing him?” Jason quickly deduced.

Damian nodded affirmably. “For the past 4 months now.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Jason ran a hand through his hair. “So he knows about the drug but he’s still seeing him?”

“Like I said before, I don’t know if he knows,” Tim said, keeping his glare pointed at Damian.

“Why haven't you just asked him about it?” Jason questioned. “Tell him you found a Heat Inducer and that his relief partner was the one that used it with him.”

“You wanna try asking Bruce about what happened at the RRP? For all we know, this Richard Grayson guy didn’t even use the drug. He could’ve accidentally dropped it on the ground on something.”

“But it was empty.” Jason countered. “And you said it yourself, that Bruce has been acting weird.”

Jason honestly thought it was pointless to discuss this without bringing it to Bruce's attention. But if the old man was still seeing Dick then that obviously meant he was ignoring the matter at hand. _Purposefully._ Tim swiftly deduced that since he was still his relief partner, he was afraid that if they bring up the topic to Bruce, he might try and stop them from looking into this any more than needed… for some reason. 

“You know how he is,” Tim said. “When he doesn’t want us to know something, he’ll hide it away for years at a time. That’s why I need you to work with me on this.”

“I knew Father going to that RRP was a bad idea,” Damian added with a deep frown and Jason couldn’t help but mentally agree.

“What the hell are the symptoms of the drug?” Jason asked, hoping Tim had some sort of answer.

“Y’see, that’s where another problem lies.” Tim sounded pessimistic. “There are different versions of these modified Heat Inducers and that means each new modification comes with new symptoms. To see which symptom Bruce has, I’d have to have a sample of the Inducer Richard used.” _But all Tim was left with was Richard's fingerprints and a barcode engraved on the outside of the casing._

“Inducer or not, I don’t think Bruce would ever be influenced that easily, but...” Jason pondered. “I don’t get how being ‘distracted’ could be a symptom of the drug.”

“And that’s why I need your help. We’re gonna look into things even without Bruce’s cooperation because do you know how hard it is to find a user of these drugs?” Tim suddenly brought to Jason’s attention. “They’re too well hidden. And we’ve been on this case about the U-Feral stimulants for months now. So, this is the lead we’ve been needing.”

Jason didn’t know a lot about the U-Feral stimulant situation, but he knew it was a problem. Someone was passing around a stimulant that turned people into mindless U-ferals. And like Tim said, the bar code that was on that Modified Inducer Dick had was the same one that was on the newest stimulant they’d just confiscated, meaning, they were created by the same maker.

Tim stood in front of Jason, his stare solemn. “We don’t need Bruce when we have you. You can get close to our suspect. Get him to trust you then we’ll have the info we need… You with me?” He gave Jason a hopeful look.

“...You better be glad I’m feeling bored lately,” Jason muttered, causing Tim to smile. “You’ll owe me for this, Tim.”

“This should be easy. You and him are close to the same age. You should get along right away.” Tim concluded

Jason briefly thought back to their last encounter. “If only you knew how hard that’s gonna be.”

~*~

Dick secured a silver collar around his neck and checked his hair in the mirror one last time before grabbing his keys and wallet from the nightstand. He quietly opened the door to his bedroom, pausing and making sure that Donna was in her own room. From the faint laughter he could hear, she was most definitely catching up on some of her shows, and as per usual would fall asleep while doing so. 

With this, Dick was in the safe and took quiet steps on his way to the front door. He made sure to open and shut the door with minimal sound before letting himself relax. It was very much like him to sneak around, especially around Donna. She liked to pry and as the years passed by, it was starting to get more and more annoying.

Sighing in relief, he headed toward the elevator, checking himself one last time in his phone camera. He looked nice, he decided and forced himself to put away his phone and to take a deep breath. _Why was he feeling so nervous?_ He’d been on plenty of dates… back in high school, he did. He’d been mated since he was 19 so there was really no dating for him in the last 4 years. But still, he shouldn’t be feeling nervous. As a matter of fact, this wasn’t a date at all. This was just… a meet-up, of sorts.

Even if Dick kept telling himself this wasn’t a date and that he was going to break it off with Bruce soon, he couldn’t help but feel giddy about it. He readied his nerves as he walked out the entrance, seeing a car waiting at the front. Bruce stepped out, smiling as he came around the car to open the door for him.

“Thanks,” Dick said, allowing himself to take one last deep breath before coming face to face with the alpha.

“Nice suit…” Dick looked him over. “And shoes.”

“You look nice as well.”

“This? I guess.” It was the nicest suit he owned, thanks to Donna forcing him to get sized for one. ‘It’ll come in handy one day,’ she said. He wasn’t even wearing it the correct way- leaving the collar askew to air out his chest so it wouldn’t interfere with his omegan collar.

“Gorgeous, actually,” Bruce said and meant to wrap an arm around Dick’s waist, bringing him in for a kiss.

“Bruce…” Dick pushed at the alpha’s chest.

The thing about dating clients was that they always thought they had this ‘win’ over him just because they’ve had sex before. But that’s just it, it wasn’t simply sex to Dick. It was work; his professional space. 

Sure, Dick had broken his one rule about kissing (and about seeing a client outside of work… _again_ ) but that didn’t mean Bruce could do anything he wanted to. So no, they wouldn’t be having sex tonight. This was purely a friendly meeting and he would treat it as such. 

Bruce, seeming to have gotten the message, backed off. Clearing his throat he motioned for Dick to enter the car and before long, the alpha was starting the engine.

“So, where are we going?”

“A ferry.” Bruce drove off.

“On a first date?” Dick accidentally let out but Bruce didn’t seem the slightest bit deterred.

“Did you want to go to the plaza instead?” He simply offered.

“You really don’t hold back do you?” Dick chuckled, finally putting on his seatbelt. “A simple burger shop would’ve been fine.”

“Sorry,” Bruce appeared to panic. “Should we have-”

“No, no, I’m kidding.” Dick laughed and Bruce seemed at a loss for words. “You’re so uptight. Relax.” Dick momentarily touched the alpha’s thigh, letting his scent comfort him, for he was used to doing so. “Wine and dine me like you do with everyone else. It seems fun.”

Bruce’s dismay mellowed out into a grin and he seemed relaxed for the rest of the way there.

The ferry was decorated for a night on the town occasion. Bruce checked in with the maitre d who showed them where they would sit. When settled, Dick finally took this chance to look around the extravagantly decorated room, his eyes finding something shiny and new to focus on every other second as Bruce ordered them some wine and a few starters.

Having been satisfied with the scenery, Dick made to look down at the menu, stopping only when he spotted a few… familiar faces from afar. 

Dick was exclusive. Because of that, he only took clients that had a lot of money. And alpha’s with a lot of money tended to have close circles of rich friends... which meant it wouldn’t be unusual for him to run into a few of those clients especially at a fancy place like this. James More. Anita Lane. Eric Beck. Dick counted down on mental fingers, thankfully stopping at three. He was even more thankful that they all seemed to be distracted by the small party going on the other side of the room.

“Luther…” Dick heard Bruce say before he too, stared up at the alpha who’d paused in front of their table. 

_Four,_ Dick briefly added, hating that he had to run into _him_ of all people. _Anyone else would’ve been better._ Not one of his most frequent clients- the same asshole that always seemed to rate Dick 3.5 stars all because he wouldn't give him the time of day. _And why would he?_ He was one of _those_ Alpha's that looked down on Omegas- the haughty and conceited kind that wished Dick could subjugate to a beat down.

“Wayne,” Lex said, his eyes straying to Dick. “I didn’t actually want to believe I’d ever see you in Metropolis again but… here you are.” 

“Yes, it’s a rather unfortunate surprise.” Bruce easily retorted, face hardened.

Dick raised a brow at the interaction. Although it wasn’t new information that LexCorp and Wayne Enterprises heavily competed, who knew Dick would get to see them go head to head up close and personal. He lifted up his menu, scarcely looking at the contents, silently hoping that Bruce would run him off.

“Your date…” His smile broadened, tone grudging. “As always, you seem to snag the best catch. He’s... wonderful.”

Dick peeked at Lex, spotting his sinister smile. The omega found that the use of the word ‘wonderful' was an awkward way to compliment someone. Even though Dick knew what he meant, hopefully, Bruce didn’t catch on. It’d be better if Lex’s eyes didn’t linger on Dick as long as they did, causing the omega to clear his throat and look off to the side.

“Bruce, what do you recommend?” Dick wasn’t trying to sound like a flippant person but he couldn’t help it. Fortunately, Bruce wasn’t put off by his attitude- in the wake of his own dislike towards Lex, he readily dismissed him.

“Yes, well my date and I would like to get back to enjoying our night.”

“Of course.” Lex sipped his wine, passing them by. And when Dick watched him retreat, he found Lex placing himself beside some other party-goers but not without concisely glancing the omega’s way.

Dick sighed internally, knowing he’d have to cross Lex off his clientele list even if he did pay extra money every time. At the risk of exposing Bruce’s use of the RRP, he would have to. For all Lex knew, he and Bruce met up randomly outside of work. But considering that they were dining in Metropolis and not Gotham, that sounded like a far-fetched idea.

“What’s wrong?” Bruce asked, watching the waiter come to fill their wine glasses.

“N-nothing. Just hungry.”

Bruce gave Dick a questioning look. “You sure?”

Dick nodded. “I’ve just never been in a fancy place like this before. I’m a little uncomfortable.”

“It does take some getting used to.”

“I bet it does-”

“Bruce, is that you?”

Dick found a woman with a sparkly black dress heading their way.

“Sheri.” Bruce spoke in shock, timorously giving Dick a silent ‘sorry’ for having another person bother them.

“It’s been a while.” She clamped a hand around Bruce’s shoulder, peering down at him with a sparkle in her eye before side-eyeing Dick. “Who’s this?”

“His date,” Dick said in response to her pheromones that were obviously trying to mark Bruce. He almost rolled his eyes. Not that he was one to judge but _were these really the women Bruce chose to prance around with?_

“How sweet.” She forced a smile, turning to Bruce. “I just wanted to come over and say hello but I should really get going. I’ll see you later, Bruce. Hopefully, soon and...” Dick lazily sipped at his wine, watching as Sheri casually whispered something into the alpha’s ear before pulling back. “Call me.”

“She seems nice.” Dick swirled his glass, choosing to look at the menu.

“Sorry.” Shame crossed the alpha’s face. “I didn’t know there was going to be a party here tonight.”

“Nothing to be sorry about.” Dick made no move to look away from the menu, his sights gliding through the more costly meals. “I’m as patient as a saint.”

“Yes, well I wouldn’t want my ex's appearance to mess up anything. I do plan on going on more dates with you in the future.”

“More dates?” Dick lifted a brow after having chosen to eat one of the most expensive things. 

Bruce’s smile was warm. “That’s the plan.”

Dick set down his wine glass and busied a hand through his hair, smiling in disbelief. He had to once again remind himself that he didn’t consider this a date. And Bruce: the only reason this alpha was attracted to him right now was because of the drug. He still couldn’t believe that a man with such amazing control would fall victim to the after-effects of the drug like that but... _why would Bruce fake it?_

Therefore he deduced that if Bruce had never experienced what his perfect mate would be like in Dick, then they wouldn't even be here right now. And yet… Dick was somehow flattered… almost smitten with having Bruce so enamored with him. He could argue that most of his clients had been somewhat enamored by him too- case and point Lex but with Bruce… Dick didn’t actually mind it. 

He liked it. 

He probably even wanted… more.

“I’m not such a fickle person that I’d let someone like that ruin our night.” Dick softly declared... then lied. “I was actually already planning our second date on the car ride here, so there’s no need to worry.”

As a sign of relief, Bruce relaxed his shoulders. “What place did you have in mind?”

“A place with dancing, live music, bar, and drinks.”

“A club,” Bruce noted.

“It won’t be fancy… I hope that won’t ruin your image.” Dick brought the wine glass to his lips, taking a careful peek at Bruce over the rim of his menu.

“No, not at all.” Bruce chuckled. “Anything you want.” 

Before long the waiter returned with their starters and another glass of wine to which Dick gladly asked to be left at the table. After they ordered their main courses, they settled into a short silence- one that Bruce was first to break.

“You said you grew up in Gotham?”

“Yeah.” Dick pulled the fork away from his lips, hoping he didn’t leave behind any crumbs. “I grew up in a foster home.”

“Foster care,” Bruce spoke with furrowed brows. “I didn’t expect that. Must’ve been tough.”

Dick shrugged. “I made it through in one piece, so it was alright.” 

Dick added that he’d grown up there with his best friend, Donna, who was also his boss. She was a few years older than him; therefore she was released earlier and went to a university in Metropolis with a scholarship she’d earned in highschool. _She started her life without him, gaining a business degree, getting a good job._ Dick didn’t say aloud but the discontentment he felt for her and had long since failed to put into the back of his thoughts, began to resurface.

“If I may ask… your parents? Do you know anything about them?” Bruce questioned before he could think better of it.

“...” 

“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it,” Bruce said in answer to the omega’s quiet distress.

“Sorry… I’d rather not.” Dick offered a forgiving smile as he downed the rest of his wine, quickly pouring another glass.

“No need to apologize.” Bruce lightly comforted before they went into another silent ambiance. It lasted longer than last time, making Bruce feel all the more stupid for having asked that question at all. 

During that time, Dick finished another glass of the best wine he’d had in a while. Sadly, the bottle was growing empty and before it did, Dick made sure to ask the waiter to bring another bottle. It wasn’t until their main courses arrived that Bruce decided to muss up a confession. 

“I know you probably think this is strange.” His fork clanked against the side of the plate as he spoke. “A client asking you out on a date.”

“It happens every once in a while,” Dick answered, eating slowly.

“I’ve been feeling… I don’t know.” Bruce huffed incredulously. “I just don’t want you to feel as though you _had_ to do this. I know I was very persistent about it and...”

Dick regarded Bruce with sympathy. “You didn’t force me. I… I guess I just wanted to give this a try. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t like you at least a little bit.” 

Dick surprised himself by admitting that. _And it wasn’t a lie this time around._ That still didn’t make this situation right, though. But instead of giving in to his guilt, Dick disregarded it and chose to let this ‘date’ continue on as a normal date would.

“What about you? College?” Dick asked Bruce, sipping more wine.

“Didn’t go to college.”

“Same for me. Right out of high school, I worked at a few restaurants before signing up for an RRP and that’s been my career ever since.”

“You could still go to college. You’re young.”

Dick snorted. “Thanks for reminding me that you’re like eleven years older than me. Your oldest son is three years younger than me- speaking of him, I met him- Jason?”

There was a slight pause in Bruce’s movements. “...You did?”

“Yeah, he just so happens to be rooming with my friend, Roy. He says you two don’t get along?” Dick confidently inquired.

“We have different ways of… handling certain things.”

Dick nodded, thinking that the problems most likely stemmed from Bruce’s ‘control freak’ nature. But if Dick hadn’t been looking at Bruce so intently just now, he would’ve missed the slight stiffness in his shoulders. To the omega, that communicated that something more severe could’ve happened to make Jason move out.

“Do you want children?” Bruce, almost expertly, diverted the subject. 

“No, I honestly don’t see myself being a parent at all.”

“You should think about it.”

“Think about it?” Dick pondered, hearing the occasional utensil clink against glass plates dispersed throughout the restaurant.

“Maybe one day you’ll end up changing your mind.” 

“Pft, did you have this ‘change of mind’ too?”

“In a way. With Jason it was new. And when he presented, it was... newer.” Bruce looked glum, leaving Dick with more questions. “I don’t think I was ready for it but if I were given the chance to go back, I know I _wouldn’t_ change things.”

Dick watched Bruce go back to eating, his heart fluttering upon hearing the alpha’s benevolence. “They should be glad to have you. I know a lot of people who would rather not have had any children.” _Then there were people who didn’t want to have children with the person they were with and made do with terminating the pregnancy before they found out._

Dick swiftly finished another glass of wine as he forced his thoughts away. He was feeling dizzy from the wine but tried to focus on Bruce’s amiability as a Father and just as a person in general. Like when he didn’t judge Dick for working in an RRP. The more Dick spent time with this man, the more he found that his current relationship with his mate wasn’t normal at all. And the more he realized that, the more he found himself wanting to keep ‘dating’ this man.

“It’ll change as you get older, I promise,” Bruce said. “You’ll learn to love the idea of having children.”

Dick gave a small smile. “If you’re thinking about making me into a parent, Bruce I’d think twice about that.”

Bruce blinked. “I-I wasn’t-”

“You’d be breaching 60 by the time our kid graduates college.” Dick easily mused. 

Bruce let out a short laugh. “Let’s ignore our ages, for now, that is if you don’t want to discuss why you like older men.”

Dick paused, heart dropping. “What... What you’d just say?”

At Dick’s reaction, Bruce frowned in confusion. “I was referring as to why’d you’d go out with me if my age was-”

“Oh,” Dick laughed, cutting him off and reaching to pour himself more alcohol. “For a second I thought you... Ya’know, I just noticed that you’re really considerate, Bruce. That’s hard to come by in a person.”

“Have none of your other dates been as considerate?” Bruce wondered, watching the omega quickly down another glass of wine.

“I mean… I’ve never really dated like this before…”

Bruce only hummed in response.

“You don’t believe me?”

“I’m finding it hard to. With how you look and everything about you is…” 

Dick chuckled, flushing, but grimaced internally. “I'm just a regular guy, Bruce.”

Bruce watched Dick pour himself another drink, seeming more frantic than usual. The omega wasn’t in any distress but despite that, he seemed to be suspiciously avoiding Bruce’s stare.

“Am I serious?” Dick suddenly asked the alpha, feeling the alcohol work at his frazzled mind. “As in, this relationship. I’m not just some… omega for you to show around for your convenience?”

Bruce became concerned. “Dick, are you alright?”

“Can you please just answer the question?” Dick begged, his body feeling heavier by the minute.

Bruce briefly looked away from Dick to get the waiter's attention. “Of course I’m serious about you. I’ve made that clear since the beginning.” He said calmly while dragging the wine bottle to his side of the table. 

Placing his elbows on the table, Dick laid his cheek on the palm of his hand, eyes drooping. “That’s good to hear… I want to take us seriously too.” He murmured, feeling Bruce gently pull the wine glass out of his reach. 

“Bring some water, please,” Bruce told the waiter, sighing softly at having let Dick get as drunk as he did. He reprimanded himself for blindly assuming that the omega could handle something as strong as the wine he picked for tonight. It was just, Dick looked so put together and it was shocking to see him reduced to such a state. _Maybe Bruce should really start considering the age gap._ Or perhaps he should let the rest of their date run its natural course and hope for the best.

.

.

.

“I know a few metahumans but they aren’t in the superhero business.” Dick leaned heavily against Bruce’s side, broaching another random topic that was spurred on by his drunkenness.

After their date, Bruce decided it was best to walk around in order to clear Dick’s head. The loopy omega claimed he wasn’t drunk but went along with the alpha and headed to a park that was a few feet away from the pier. It was a cool night, causing a chain reaction of Bruce fussing over Dick’s undress and giving the omega his large coat. 

As the seconds passed, Dick found that it was more comfortable to lean against Bruce’s side as they tread along the sidewalk. There, he could admit that he was perhaps a little tipsy after drinking all that wine. The cheap wines he usually had could never compare to the one he drank tonight. Once he took a sip, he couldn’t stop. And even though he berated Wally for being a cheap drunk, Dick was pretty much in the same boat when it came down to it. He was just happy Bruce wasn’t the type of person to take advantage of his current state.

“It’d be cool to be a metahuman, I guess.” Dick considered heavily. “Maybe then I’d get to hang out with Superman.”

“You… really like him.” Bruce was having a hard time understanding why? Or maybe, he was feeling a bit desirous to have that loving attention solely focused on himself. 

Dick shrugged. “Can’t help it.”

“I don’t see what all the fuss is about,” Bruce grumbled.

“Of course you wouldn’t, Bruce.” Dick looked up at the alpha. “You look like the type of guy that doesn’t like any Superheroes, really.”

“That’s not entirely true.”

Dick chuckled and leaned back against Bruce’s shoulder. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. He actually saved me once… Superman. Ever since then I’ve become obsessed. He’s the best. No one else can compete.”

Bruce gave a hushed laugh. “You say it as if you’d drop me if he ever gave you a chance.”

“Hm.” Dick pointedly looked aside with a small grin. “... Pretty much.”

Bruce made a sound of complaint, causing Dick to laugh. “Don’t be jealous, Bruce. I’m all yours tonight.”

“Not tonight. You’re drunk.”

“Sorry,” Dick murmured. “I guess I ruined our night.”

“Not at all. I’m glad I got to see another side of you.”

“I can’t believe you turned out to be such a sap.” Dick made fun but compared to the Bruce who was hell-bent on closing himself off, he found this side of the alpha to be greatly endearing. 

Dick was the first to hear the sound of laughter behind them. Bruce followed, but not with the natural curiosity anyone else would’ve had when wanting to look at someone. He froze, his nostrils flaring as he looked over Dick’s shoulder and at the culprit. Dick soon peered behind him, finding a familiar omega picking up his skateboard. And the smile he previously wore was wilting by the second as he stared wide-eyed at Bruce.

“B-Bruce…” Tim’s gaze briefly trained on Dick before looking back at the alpha with fear.

The taller boy standing next to him, sidestepped, trying and failing to act like he hadn’t had his arm around Tim’s shoulder. “Mr. Wayne, s-sir.” He corrected himself. “H-How are you?”

The scene played out as expected with Bruce angrily dismissing the young alpha and bringing Tim along with them to the car.

“Why aren’t you wearing your collar?” Bruce said through clenched teeth trying to hold back his anger but it was inevitable. The pheromones he was producing were enough to demonstrate his disappointment. 

“It was uncomfortable,” Tim said, staring directly at Bruce through the rearview mirror.

“That’s not an excuse. I told you never to leave the house without it.” 

“I don’t see what the big deal is.” Tim folded his arms. “I can defend myself. You know that.”

“Bruce. Take a deep breath.” Dick attempted to calm his rage. 

Tim narrowed his eyes at the other omega, _Richard Grayson._ When Bruce said he had a date tonight, _who knew it would be him of all people._

“His date?” Tim didn’t ask but snidely pointed out.

“Yeah,” The omega looked over his shoulder, cracking a smile. “I’m Dick. Nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet one of Bruce’s many flings.”

“Tim,” Bruce growled.

“It’s alright, Bruce.” Dick could see Tim was retaliating against his overprotective dad. He’d probably do the same thing if he were in this situation. Then again, if Dick were a parent, he’d also be angry to find his sixteen-year-old son out past midnight in another city, no less.

When they reached Dick’s apartment, Bruce decided to walk the omega to his door, leaving Tim all alone. Watching them walk away, Tim kicked his feet up onto the front seat armrest before sending Jason a quick text.

\--

“Thanks. I had fun.” Dick customarily said once they reached his door. 

“Let’s have lunch. Tomorrow.”

Dick laughed. “You’re really not a patient person, are you? I thought we’d do it next weekend instead?”

“We’ll do both.” Bruce didn’t leave any room for argument.

“Stubborn.” Dick couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Being adored like this was something he wasn’t used to. This entire night was something he wasn’t used to. Someone was infatuated with him to the point of cupidity and well… it felt good being in this position. 

“So, tomorrow?” Bruce asked again and Dick confirmed.

“Tomorrow,” Dick fiddled with the alpha’s hand that he’d yet to let go of. Not thinking long and still feeling a bit of the alcohol buzzing in his system, Dick chose to tilt his head back, hoping Bruce would understand his inviting manner. Predictably, the alpha did, wrapping a possessive hand around the omega’s waist before pulling him close. 

They kissed. Dick hummed softly, bringing his hands to grasp at the alpha’s shoulders. Bruce was more possessive than he was, taking in Dick’s air like he was going to slip away any second. He was practically starved of Dick’s touch, after having been denied a kiss earlier that night. And Dick wasn’t willing to let go either, choosing to push his fingers through Bruce’s hair to kiss him harder and deeper.

When they finally broke away, it was with reluctance and harsh pants. Bruce swiped a thumb over Dick’s cheek, listlessly looking down at him. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Dick nodded, feeling cold when Bruce removed his arm. “You’re jacket.” 

“Keep it.” Bruce stopped the omega from removing it, giving him one last kiss on the forehead before saying his final goodbyes.

“Oh and Bruce?” The alpha stopped in his tracks, looking over his shoulder. “Don’t be too hard on him- Tim. It’s true, these collars _do_ get uncomfortable after a while.”

Bruce threw up a simple wave, seeming to dismiss Dick’s advice while also giving him a genuine smile.

“Poor kid.” _Hopefully, Bruce wasn’t too mad at him,_ he thought as he watched Bruce enter the elevator, leaving Dick to unlock the door. 

“Dick?” Donna’s voice startled him upon entering, causing his happy mood to droop exponentially. _Of all the nights for her to be up past midnight,_ _why did it have to be tonight?_ Dick really didn’t want to hear her interrogating him right now. All he wanted to do was go to his room and snuggle with Bruce’s coat while he slept. 

“I thought you were asleep?” Donna inquired, turning on the hallway light.

Dick dropped his keys on the entryway table. “...No.”

“Oh…” Her eyes flickered over Dick’s form. “You finally wore that suit I picked out for you.”

“Yeah…” Dick didn’t bother with taking his shoes off at the door, choosing to go straight to his room.

“Wait, Dick?” She hesitantly closed the distance between them, worry etching her brow. “You were out pretty late… Where were you?”

Dick’s anger spiked. “Donna, why the hell do you always have to know where I am?”

Donna blinked. “I-”

“I don’t question you every time you leave the house.”

“Anyone would be curious as to why you’re coming home so late.” She argued back.

“Home.” Dick scoffed a laugh. “You make it sound like we’re married or something. You’re my roommate, Don, that’s all you are.”

Donna grimaced.

“You don’t get to dictate where I go, how long I’ll be gone, and who I’m going out with. It’s annoying when you do that.”

“I wasn’t dictating anything. I’m just worried about you, as your _friend.”_ She made it her point to enunciate the word ‘friend,’ seeing as Dick called her a simple ‘roommate.’ “You never tell me anything anymore so that’s why I always ask.”

“Why the hell would I tell you anything?” Dick gave a slow shake of his head, not believing that Donna was this idiotic. “Do you not remember what you did to me?”

Donna sighed, “What are you talking about?”

“You went behind my back and told our friends everything about me- saying that I was sick and crazy for doing drugs.”

“Those words never came out of my mouth.” Donna almost shouted.

“That’s not what Wally and Roy said.” Dick lied. “Then a week later, you’re introducing me to some fucking drug counselor lady- putting me on the spot and embarrassing me.”

“What’s wrong with me trying to help you? What’s wrong with me being worried?”

“Everything!”

Donna let out an even harsher breath, not believing her ears. Was Dick really starting a fight because she was worried about him? What’s worse is that he was acting like he was the innocent bystander here. “Don’t act like this isn’t all your fault that I’m paranoid, Dick.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s obvious what I mean. While I was working my ass off and doing something with my life, you went ahead and mated with a random criminal, got addicted to drugs, and whored myself around Gotham like some fucking nymphomaniac.”

Dick seemed to be breathing harder, blinking in disbelief as he looked anywhere but at Donna. 

Donna spewed mental curses, knowing she’d hit way below the belt when she hadn’t meant to. But she did; she actually said what she’d been holding in all of these years and it was unfortunate that it wasn’t all she wanted to say. She had a lot more- three books full of pent-up anger but she never meant to say it in this way. And as expected, Dick was _beyond furious._

“I’m sorry, Dick.” Donna tried, but Dick’s distress was already paramount by the time he gathered himself and headed towards the front door.

“Dick, wait,” She hastily followed after. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I was-”

The door slammed behind him, causing a picture frame to fall off the wall and crash to the ground. Donna didn’t have to pick it up to know which picture it was. The last photo they took together at the orphanage. _That_ Dick Grayson was her best friend. The one that just left out the door was…  
  


~*~

“You’re grounded,” Bruce said as they walked into the Manor, after giving Tim the silent treatment on the drive home. _Tim wished it was still like that._

“But me and Conner weren't doing anything. We were just walking around.”

Having already adhered to his final ruling, Bruce didn’t turn around when he answered. “It’s past midnight. You’re 16. You know the rules.” 

“What’s the problem?” Tim complained loudly, following Bruce to the living room. “I’m always out past midnight on patrol and Conner’s my best friend.”

“I don’t care what your relationship with that alpha is.” Bruce grit out angrily.

“It’s funny how you trust me to beat up bad guys but can’t trust me enough to have friends over.” Tim started towards the stairwell with a stomp in his step. “Now I understand why Jason got tired of your shit and left.” He mumbled under his breath, wincing when Bruce growled sharply from having heard.

“No hanging out with that boy for a month!”

Tim whipped his head around, seeing Bruce follow him up the stairs. “But-!” 

“No technology outside of patrol either.” Bruce passed the omega, heading straight for his bedroom. Once he was there, he did something as brash as pulling out all the major cords, riddling Tim’s desktops and gaming systems useless.

“You’re phone, Tim.”

Tim all but dropped it on the floor on his way to the bed, hearing Bruce grumble angrily behind him. 

“This is for your own good,” Bruce said but Tim held back on saying anything, letting the alpha leave the room with his stupid head held high. He was so tired of his bullshit. Ever since he presented, he couldn’t do this or that. He had to be monitored at all times- _not literally but that’s what it felt like._ If Conner couldn’t fucking fly, who knows how many times Tim would’ve gone without seeing him. 

As soon as Tim sat on his bed, there was a tap on his window. _Speak of the flying devil._

“Sorry, you got caught.” Conner came through the window Tim opened and softly landed on the floor.

“It’s whatever.” Tim flopped on down his bed once more, watching as the alpha set aside his skateboard. “Apparently I’m not supposed to talk to you for a month.”

Conner smirked. “As if that’d stop you.”

“It won’t.” Tim pointed across the room. “Check the top draw of my desk.”

With his brow raised, Conner did as Tim said, not expecting to find another cellphone. “Looks ancient.”

“Just about three years old but it’ll do for now.” Their fingers brushed upon exchange. “Come by tomorrow at 10. The Batdad should be asleep by then.”

“Sure thing.”

\--

“Master Bruce, I believe you’re being too hard on him.” Alfred reprimanded once Bruce made his way downstairs with a handful of cords. “A month, sir? I’ve never once grounded you for that long.”

“He knows the rules.” Bruce deposited the items into one of the living room dressers that were just for show.

“Yes he does, but you do understand that Tim is allowed to have friends.” 

Bruce slammed the drawer shut. “I’ve seen the way that alpha looks at my son, Alfred.”

“He’s more than just an alpha, sir. He’s Tim’s friend; he’s a boy.”

Bruce began to unhook the buttons on the cuffs of his shirt in frustration, walking out the room as he did. “What do you want me to say, Alfred?”

“Master Bruce,” Alfred garnered the alpha with a dire expression. “You cannot let what happened in the past affect how you-”

“No.” In warning, Bruce cut him off, his tone as low as his mood. “No, Alfred. I’m done for the night.”

Damian listened from the kitchen, catching a glimpse of Bruce passing by- most likely on the way to his study where he’d spend the rest of his night. Tentatively, Damian grabbed a soda while also aloofly snagging one of Tim’s favorite ice cream bars in the process.

“You should be in bed, Master Damian.” Alfred’s voice startled Damian right after he closed the fridge. He went to fold his arms, wanting to confront the butler. 

“Alfred, did something happen to Father in the past?”

Alfred idly moved around the kitchen. “It is not my place to tell you.” 

“Why not? I think I deserve to know.” When he presented, he didn’t want to have to go through what Tim and Jason had endured years past. Tim, especially, since he’d presented right on the normal age of fourteen and had been dealing with Bruce for the past two years with a few more to go.

“There should be no secrets between us.” Damian easily claimed.

“There will always be secrets,” Alfred advised. “That’s the way the world works, Master Damian.”

“Hmph.” Damian reluctantly contemplated Alfred’s words all the way until he made it to Tim’s bedroom. With a frown set in place, he knocked on the door. In record time, Tim opened up, instantly glancing down at the ice cream bar, eyes narrowing. 

“You didn’t poison it, did you?”

“It’d be a waste of my time to do something like that.”

Tim took the ice cream bar, the corner of his lips twitching upward a bit. “Thanks.” He murmured, opening the door as an invitation for Damian to come in. Begrudgingly, he did, soon spotting Conner laying on Tim’s bed, reading a magazine.

“It’s no wonder you get in trouble as much as you do.” Damian folded his arms, staying by the door.

“Just be glad you haven’t presented yet,” Tim mumbled, tearing off the wrapping paper. “You’ll be trapped here when you do.” 

Damian didn’t have to think long to know that Drake was right. “In case you’ve forgotten, Father’s sense of smell is strong and-”

“You think I don’t know how to take precautions by now?” Tim said biting into his ice cream bar. “I’ll air out Conner’s alpha’s smell in a few hours like I always do. Bruce’ll never know he was here. Thanks for worrying about me, though.” Tim smirked.

“I-I wasn’t-” Keeping himself calm Damian quickly left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Conner chuckled and Tim shrugged. The omega then leaned against the headboard, eventually thinking back to Bruce’s surprising date night with his suspect. 


End file.
